Dasun Shanaka

Dasun Shanaka burst onto the scene as a beefy middle-order hitter from Negombo, but his real value lay in a captaincy that made Sri Lanka a braver one-day side. As white-ball skipper from 2021 to 2023 he led a young, transitional team to a T20 series win over India in Colombo and to the 2022 Asia Cup title, Sri Lanka's first in eight years.

Shanaka's game is built on raw power, particularly through the covers and down the ground. He is best known for clean striking in the death overs, though his consistency wavers. As a bowler his medium pace is crafty rather than threatening, rarely delivering more than handy overs, but his knack for removing a set batter at a crucial moment has repeatedly shifted momentum.

Domestically he has played for Sinhalese Sports Club, with franchise stints in leagues including Bangladesh and the UAE. His international career has had its highs and lows, and the captaincy passed on after the 2023 World Cup, but his leadership instilled belief in a rebuilding side. His utility as a sixth bowler and late-innings hitter has kept him in and around Sri Lanka's T20 squads since.