Young Pavan Ratnayake on the cusp of achieving long awaited dream
As Sri Lanka steps into a new dawn in Test cricket following the retirement of Dimuth Karunaratne and the impending retirement of Angelo Mathews, focus shifts to the next generation of batsmen who are waiting in the wings after consistent performances in recent domestic competitions. Pavan Ratnayake is one such promising top-order batsman whose progress has been observed from close quarters. Now he has been rewarded for his consistency as the 24-year-old has earned his maiden call-up for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
Ratnayake’s cricketing journey has been an attention-grabbing story leading up to his maiden call-up to the national setup. Despite having a passion for cricket from the outset, Ratnayake had also shown capabilities in athletics. Until the age of 11, he had prioritised being a track and field athlete.
As time progressed, the youngster realised that he had a bright future ahead of him as a cricketer. He decided to give up athletics. It is fair to say that his transition from being an athlete to a cricketer was a smooth one. Constant encouragement from his family ensured that Ratnayake’s development wasn’t hampered.
A proud alumnus of Mahanama College, Colombo, Ratnayake formally commenced his school cricket career under the watchful eyes of coaches Akila Madushanka and Pasindu Liyanarachchi, who were instrumental in his development during his initial years as a budding cricketer. The youngster said that his experience as a 100m sprinter proved invaluable to his shift and development as a cricketer.
“In cricket, player fitness is an important aspect. I think my experiences as an athlete have proved valuable in being able to become a professional cricketer,” he noted.
The gritty youngster represented his school at all age-group levels. With constant guidance and nurturing from veteran coaches, including Kelum Gangodawila and Nelson Mendis, amongst many others who helped him to prosper at school level. The youngster was introduced to captaincy at an early age. The gritty right-handed batsman went on to captain his alma mater at all age-group levels. Notably, he led the Sri Lanka Under-15 team in the victorious Tuanku Jaafar Invitation Cricket Championship in Malaysia in 2017. In the same year, he was crowned Under-15 Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. Under Ratnayake’s captaincy, Mahanama emerged as Under-17 champions in the Schools Limited Over competition in 2019.
Ratnayake continued to show his capabilities during the Battle of the Golds encounters against traditional rivals D.S. Senanayake College, where he went on to shine notably in the limited-over format, being adjudged player of the match for two consecutive years, in 2018 and 2019. Due to his impressive performances at school level, he received his maiden call-up to the Sri Lanka Under-19 team at 17. However, he was unable to replicate the consistency that he had shown at school level, subsequently ending his youth career abruptly.
The Under-19 World Cup snub was a motivational factor for the youngster to get into the main team. From then onwards, he was determined to iron out his weaknesses and dominate at school and domestic levels. His chapter of regeneration commenced with the Under-19 Provincial Tournament, where Ratnayake scored 148 runs at an average of 37.00, including two half-centuries. The turning point of his career transpired when he joined Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) in 2020, where he became the youngest Sri Lankan to score a first-class century at 17 years and 189 days.
In his debut season for CCC, Ratnayake scored 351 runs at an average of 58.50, including a century and seven half-centuries. Ratnayake also dominated the school cricket arena as he scored 1,227 runs at an average of 87.64, including six centuries and three half-centuries in 13 matches. His impressive performances throughout the year earned him the crown as the best batsman in Division I in 2020.
The elegant right-handed batsman regarded 2022 as his breakthrough year, where he gradually began to dominate the domestic arena and played the National Super League 4-day Tournament, scoring 199 runs at an average of 49.75 for Dambulla. He regarded this as the turning point in his emergence in first-class cricket.
Ratnayake didn’t take long to prosper in the 50-over format. He scored 343 runs at 43.62 in nine matches. His emergence as a white-ball player was showcased during the 2024 edition with 494 runs at 82.33, including three centuries in 10 matches.
Thereafter, he was a regular member of the ‘A’ and Emerging teams. Ratnayake continued to show his adaptability in overseas conditions as he scored centuries in South Africa and the UAE leading up to his inclusion for the Bangladesh Test series.
Up to now, he has scored 10 centuries in 49 first-class matches and five List A centuries in 74 matches.
Reminiscing about his career after reaching the cusp of his long-awaited dream, the youngster is aware of the challenges that lie ahead of him.
“My dream is to represent my country in all three formats. From being a consistent batsman for Mahanama College and then continuously scoring runs for CCC, I am now pleased about the fact that I have earned my opportunity to shine at the highest level. Now it’s time to unleash my capabilities and fulfil my ultimate dream,” said Ratnayake, who could easily be one of the frontrunners to write a new chapter in Sri Lankan cricket.