In a remarkable turn of events, Sri Lanka’s rising star, Dunith Wellalage, left the cricketing world in awe during his spectacular Asia Cup debut. The left-arm spinner, at just 20 years and 246 days old, etched his name in history by securing his maiden 5-wicket haul. With finesse and precision, Wellalage single-handedly dismantled the formidable Indian batting lineup, claiming the prized scalps of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya with his exceptional spin magic.

Wellalage’s achievement made him the youngest bowler ever to achieve a five-wicket haul in the ODI format, surpassing the former right-arm pacer Charitha Buddhika’s record set at the age of 21 years and 65 days against Zimbabwe in Sharjah back in 2001. Holding the third position is right-arm fast bowler Thisara Perera, who accomplished the feat against India in Dambulla in 2010 at the age of 21 years and 141 days. Wellalage’s impact was so profound that he even changed his Instagram profile picture to one featuring him with Virat Kohli.

Sri Lanka’s legendary fast bowler, Lasith Malinga, showered praise upon Dunith Wellalage following his mesmerizing performance against India’s high-profile top-order at the Asia Cup. Malinga was quoted as saying, “It is fair to say that SL played with 12 players today. That is how good Dunith was.” He also added, “He has got a brilliant head on his young shoulders to go with his all-round skill set.” Malinga concluded with the belief that Wellalage is destined to become Sri Lanka’s most crucial player in ODIs for the next decade.

As the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India approaches next month, Wellalage is poised to play a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s campaign. His exceptional talent was first showcased when he emerged as the leading wicket-taker at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup last year, amassing 17 wickets at an impressive average of 13.58. Not only a wizard with the ball, but Wellalage also displayed his prowess with the bat, scoring 264 runs in six matches at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 70. His century and half-century contributions made him Sri Lanka’s top run-scorer in the tournament, ranking seventh overall.