Wanindu Hasaranga retires from Test cricket: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has announced his retirement from Test cricket to focus more on the limited overs formats.
The 26-year-old, who made his Test debut for the Lankan Lions in December 2020 has featured in only four Tests. He has not played a Test in the last two years.
Therefore, he decided to step aside, extending his career in limited-overs cricket.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Hasaranga is a fine spin bowling all-rounder for SL but his returns have mostly come in the limited overs formats.
In recent years, Lanka has mostly preferred the likes of Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, and others as frontline spinners in the longest format of the game.
With his chances of donning the white jersey looking very bleak, Hasaranga accepted his fate.
Stats
A look at his Test career
While Hasaranga has been top-notch in limited-overs cricket, he has been fairly ineffective in the four Tests that he played.
In four matches, he scalped only four wickets at a poor average of 100.75.
Although, with the bat, he struck a fifty in South Africa.
The all-rounder could only manage 196 runs in those four matches at an average of 28.
Information
A look at Hasaranga's First-Class numbers
The 26-year-old all-rounder has great First-Class numbers. In 44 FC matches, the leg spinner snapped up 102 wickets at 27.66. His tally includes seven fifers. With the bat, Hasaranga scored 2,657 runs at 39.65. The dasher slammed 19 fifties and three tons.
T20
His exploits in T20Is
Hasaranga is ranked third in the ICC T20I Rankings for Bowlers.
He is the second-highest wicket-taker for SL with 91 scalps in 58 T20Is with an economy of 6.89.
Only Lasith Malinga (107) is ahead of him in this format.
He has also hammered 533 runs in 58 matches at a strike rate of 123.95. He has smoked a fifty.
ODI
Hasaranga has scalped 67 wickets in ODIs
The 26-year-old spinner has proven his mettle in ODI cricket as well. He has tallied 67 wickets in 48 ODIs at an average of 28.77. He also maintains an economy rate of 5.07.
His tally includes three five-wicket hauls.
Hasaranga also returned with 832 runs from 48 matches at 23.77. He has slammed four fifties.
His highest score of 80* came against West Indies.
World Cup
Hasranga played a huge role in SL's World Cup qualification
Hasaranga was SL's talisman in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.
He finished as the top wicket-taker with 22 scalps from seven matches at an average of 12.91. His tally included three five-wicket hauls.
Notably, Hasaranga created history when he claimed three consecutive fifers. He equaled the record of former Pakistan speedster Waqar Younis, who was the only player to achieve this feat in ODIs.