[VIDEOS] Nuwan Thushara: 'Podi Malinga' - Sri Lanka's emerging cricket sensation

[FearlessRoar]

Thushara is a capped player who has represented Sri Lanka five times but he is no ‘normal’ pacer. He, just like Matheesha Pathirana, is a Malinga regen who is known as ‘podi Malinga’ for his slingy action. He bowls at a decent click and has the ability to both swing the ball conventionally and also exploit reverse-swing with the old ball. Like Pathirana, he is also someone that possesses a wicked yorker.

Thushara represented the Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and had a very impressive tournament. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition with 13 scalps to his name, picking 2+ wickets in 5 of the 8 matches in the tournament.

He was in the limelight recently for blowing away Northern Warriors with the new ball. He finished the game in question with figures of 4/12 off his 2 overs, taking two wickets with the new ball and then two again at the death.

The 29-year-old has also played for Sri Lanka this year. Prior to the World Cup, he featured in one T20I against Afghanistan, in the Asian Games, and picked up a four-wicket haul (3-0-17-4).

Thushara represented Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) this year. He was among seven bowlers to take 10+ wickets in the competition: he finished LPL 2023 with 11 wickets at an E.R of 8.15. For Jaffna, 9 of his 11 wickets in the season came at the death.

The 29-year-old is someone that is still raw but has bags of potential. With Malinga back at MI as the franchise’s bowling coach, expect the Lankan legend to get the best out of this promising youngster.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Mumbai Indians’ new signing Nuwan Thushara became the 5th Sri Lankan bowler to take a hat-trick in a men’s T20I game. He dismantled Bangladesh in the third and final T20I.

Playing in Sylhet, Thusharatook took three wickets in the first over. He took 5 wickets off 20 runs in 4 overs

 

[WengerOut]

I am no fan of unorthodox or mystery bowlers. You have to be good even if the mystery element wanes off..

 

[FearlessRoar]

Kusal Mendis draws parallels with former star after Nuwan Thushara's stunning hat-trick​

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Teammate Kusal Mendis stated that Nuwan Thushara's T20I hat-trick against Bangladesh reminded him of Lasith Malinga.​

Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara took a stunning hat-trick and a five-wicket haul in Sylhet to help Sri Lanka clinch the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh on Saturday, 9 March.

The 29-year-old Thushara knocked over the Tigers skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy before trapping Mahmudullah in front off successive deliveries in the fourth over of Bangladesh's run-chase to finish his hat-trick.

He went on to dismiss Soumya Sarkar in the final over of the Powerplay and later added another wicket to the tally and completed a five-wicket haul.

Thushara's was the 57th hat-trick in men's T20I history and the sixth by a Sri Lankan. Lasith Malinga has taken two of those six hat-tricks.

Thushara, whose bowling action is very similar to Malinga's, was hailed by teammate Kusal Mendis after the Player of the Match performance.

"I'm very happy for him," Mendis said.

"With the World Cup around the corner, it's great to have many of our bowlers in such form. He's been playing in franchise leagues for some time - he played well in the SA20 as well - I think that's also why he was able to give his best for the team when we needed him.

"It was those three wickets [the hat-trick] that turned the match in our favour. It reminded me of how Mali aiya [Lasith Malinga] bowled," Mendis concluded.

Opposition skipper Shanto too mirrored Mendis' views. "I agree that the whole match pivoted in that one over," Shanto said.

"He bowled a very good over. I think we have to credit the bowler. We were held back by that over. I felt that if we could have handled that over better, or generally held our own against the new ball, we could have had a different result.

"He got a bit of swing. He has that action. He wasn't getting a lot of bounce due to his side-arm action. It was keeping low. This won't happen all the time, but we have to tackle these things better in the future."

Sri Lanka now play three ODIs against Bangladesh, starting 13 March, followed by two Tests.

ICC

 

[FearlessRoar]

Champion spell by Nuwan Thushara today in a high scoring game against LSG. 4 overs, 3 wickets, 28 runs

He delivered some lethal inswingers, great with the new ball and at the death.

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[BouncerGuy]

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Superb bowling from this guy today against Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup game.

took 4 for 17 runs in his 4-over spell. Could be a match-winning spell in a low scoring thriller.