Isuru Udana bids adieu to international cricket

Sri Lanka all-rounder Isuru Udana has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect. The 33-year-old was part of the Sri Lanka squad that defeated India in the T20I series. Udana, however, failed to impress and did not pick up a single wicket in the three white-ball games he played in the series.

While the reason for Udana’s sudden retirement is unknown, it is speculated that his poor form over the last couple of years may have forced him to think about quitting cricket. The left-arm pacer only picked up 6 and 4 wickets in 6 ODIs and as many T20Is in 2020. The below-par performance meant that Udana was in and out of the team.

Udana burst on the scene with a reputation of a very skilled bowler, someone who can outclass the best batsmen with his variations. He made his debut for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup in 2009. However, he failed to live up to the expectations and could not cement his place in the team.

He made his come back to the Sri Lanka team in 2018, mostly because of improved batting prowess and played key roles in Sri Lanka’s bilateral series against South Africa and Pakistan. Udana has played 21 ODIs and 35 T20Is for Sri Lanka, picking up 18 and 27 wickets respectively. He also scored 237 and 256 runs in the two formats with 78 and 84 being the highest score. He also represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). Udana is vastly experienced in the shortest format of the game, with 164 T20Is across different leagues under his belt.