Cricket: Bhanuka Rajapaksa ends stint with Sri Lanka

Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka cricket team's middle-order batsman, has officially informed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) not to consider him for contracts with effect from December 31, 2021. 

Rajapaksa, 30, who earned a permanent slot in the Sri Lanka Twenty20 side, made his T20 debut against Pakistan in October 2019 with a 22-ball 32, but he earned the cynosure for his swashbuckling 77 off 48 balls in the second match. 

He represented Sri Lanka in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, with an assured slot in the middle order. 

Rajapaksa also captained Galle Gladiators, the losing finalists of the two editions of Lanka Premier League in 2020 and 2021.

In 18 T20 international matches, Rajapaksa has scored 320 runs at an average of 26.67, while in five One Day Internationals (ODI) he scored a total of 89 runs at 17.80.

Playing first class cricket for SSC and BRC, Rajapaksa has scored 4087 runs in 77 games at 36.49 in addition to raking up 2841 runs in 118 List 'A' matches at an average of 28.12.

The left-handed batsman captained Royal College in cricket while also turning out for squash and swimming teams of the school. 

He was an important member of the Sri Lanka team that at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2010 held in New Zealand and scored his best of 154 not out in 111 balls against Australia U-19s in 2009. 

He was also the first Sri Lankan Under-19 player to score 1000 Youth ODI runs. 

Rajapaksa is a well known player in franchise cricket and has played in leagues across Bangladesh, the UAE and the Caribbean.

He will join the Bangladesh Premier League, which is set to begin later this month, and is likely to continue as a freelance player turning out for franchises.