On This Day: Birthday of Sri Lanka's one of most elegant middle-order batter Dhananjaya de Silva

Birthday of one of the finest modern-era middle-order batsmen, Dhananjaya de Silva. On September 6, 1991, Silva was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. After the 2016 domestic season, Silva got his first Test call-up.

The right-handed batter first went under the spotlight during the 2016 Super T20 Provincial tournament. In this season he accumulated 234 runs at a strike rate of 133 in six innings. After an individual successful Super T20 Provincial competition, Dhananjaya shined with Tamil Union. After 55 years of waiting, they emerged victorious in a first-class campaign, that too with the support of a young Dhananjaya de Silva. He helped the team by scoring 868 runs at a 54.25 batting average, including a crucial fourth-innings 124 in the match that clinched his team the title. Not only with the bat, Silva contributed with his bowling work by clinching 34 wickets at 14.23. 

He did not take too much time to impress cricket fans in Sri Lankan colors in Test format. Against Australia, Silva scored a century and a half-century in his career's third Test match. He also scored match-winning hundreds in Harare and at home against the West Indies and Pakistan.

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Back-to-back hundreds for Silva

The century against Zimbabwe came only one match after his maiden Test hundred against Australia. A few tests after, he found his rhythm back against India when he scored an unbeaten 119-run at Colombo. In the next match, another ton, this time against Bangladesh.

As of now, in 65 test matches, he amassed 4133 at a batting average of 38.99, powered by twelve centuries and 19 half-centuries. He claimed 43 Test wickets as well. In January 2024, he replaced Dimuth Karunaratne as Sri Lanka's Test captain.