The Resurrection of Isuru Udana

An impressive series for Sri Lanka A against Ireland A earned Isuru Udana a recall to the Sri Lankan national team. The left arm seamer first broke into the Sri Lankan team in 2009, in a T20 game against Australia. However, having featured in the topmost level for 3 years, Udana’s journey seemed to have come to an abrupt pause. But, Udana’s persistence at the domestic level bore fruits as he managed to make a successful return to the Sri Lankan national team after a 4-year-long break in 2016. 

Primarily looked at as a left-arm seamer with a lot of varieties in his armour during his first stint in international cricket, Udana has now honed  his skill-set, and can contribute both with the bat and the ball. Since his return, Udana has contributed a few crucial runs down the Sri Lankan batting order as well.

Udana can also add firepower lower down the order

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In only his second game following a return to the national team, in 2017, Isuru Udana’s 3/13 against South Africa helped Sri Lanka register a famous win against the hosts in Johannesburg. His 3/11 against Pakistan in October 2019 was another of Udana’s impressive performances which went on to help dismiss Pakistan for 101, handing Sri Lanka an emphatic 64-run win in a historic T20.

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His performances in the T20 format also helped him find his way back into the ODI setup in 2019. Udana had an instant impact with the bat, as he scored a rapid 78 off 57 balls to take his team to a respectable score of 189, although in vain against South Africa. A month later on the same tour, Udana scored another quick fire 84 off 39 balls which helped Sri Lanka put up a fight against the hosts from a seemingly hopeless situation at 6/62, chasing 181, in the second T20I.

Bought at INR. 50 Lakhs in the auction preceding the 2020 edition of the IPL, Isuru Udana will add a lot of value to the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad. His slower deliveries and cutters could prove hard to put away on slower tracks, while his batting lower down the order could prove to be a valuable asset in the T20s. Udana’s inclusion could lend greater balance and add a different dimension to the RCB lineup when the need arises.