Hasaranga had a rough outing in the second T20I. He bowled just two overs, conceding a whopping 34 runs, with Hardik Pandya hitting him for two fours and a six. His batting didn’t fare any better; he got out on the first ball trying for a big slog sweep, contributing to Sri Lanka’s downfall from 140/5 to being all out for 169.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal criticized Hasaranga, saying, “You’ve been a captain and a match-winner, but your attitude on the field doesn’t seem serious. We’ve seen you give your all in the LPL and IPL. You need that same commitment when playing for your country.”
Basit Ali, another former Pakistani cricketer, echoed this sentiment, suggesting Hasaranga might have become too self-important. “As the number one all-rounder, it seems Hasaranga thinks he’s bigger than cricket. He got out playing a poor shot on the first ball and was hammered by Suryakumar Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal.”
Despite his recent struggles, Hasaranga remains the top all-rounder in T20Is and the third-ranked T20I bowler. His captaincy recently ended after Sri Lanka’s early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024, where they didn’t win a single match.
Now, Sri Lanka faces the prospect of a whitewash in the ongoing T20I series, already trailing 0-2, reflecting their eighth-place ranking in the ICC T20I standings.