Sri Lankan cricketer Bhanuka Rajapaksa said that he would love to see his favorite Indian cricketer Virat Kohli play in the Lanka Premier League (LPL).
Bhanuka Rajapaksa is currently playing in ongoing LPL 2021 and is captaining Galle Gladiators in the tournament.
When asked about the leadership role, Bhanuka Rajapaksa said that it’s exciting for him to lead the side and he along with his team is looking forward to winning the title this year.
Read Also: Virat Kohli will play in South Africa ODIs- Report
"It's always exciting when you are leading a side. I got the opportunity because Shahid Afridi left halfway through last year due to personal reasons. It's been a fantastic moment with the boys and I am looking forward to clinching the title this year," Bhanuka Rajapaksa told ANI.
When asked about who is his favorite Indian cricketer and which players he wants to see in Lanka Premier League (LPL), Bhanuka Rajapaksa didn’t shy away and named Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli.
“Without any doubt, at the moment I would say, Virat Kohli. Definitely Virat Kohli,” he said.
Rajapaksa admitted that captaincy has made a positive impact on his batting and he is always going for a kill as he doesn’t want to lose the match by 15-20 runs.
“For me, I have been leading the team for a while now, so it has always made a positive impact in my batting. As a captain, I am always going for a kill, I don't want to lose a match by 10-15 runs. Even if it is one run I don't mind losing a match. Captaincy has made a huge impact in my batting, it has become more aggressive," he said.
Rajapaksa while citing the example of other leagues across the world said that LPL will benefit Sri Lankan cricket in finding talented youngsters. He added that the tournament is going to be a big hit in the future.
“Of course, if you look at other leagues around the world they have found so many youngsters even the players who have not been performing in the past, they get a good opportunity playing under the lights, playing with a lot of crowd around you.
“It is going to be a big benefit to Sri Lanka Cricket and we have seen the benefit, we have found a couple of youngsters. LPL I think it's going to be a big hit in the coming future," he said.
Read Also: Travis Head excited to face England at home ground in Adelaide in a D/N Test
Bhanuka Rajapaksa admitted that they didn’t have a great season last year but they are in a comfortable position this year and it’s just a matter of winning a match or two for them.
"We are pretty confident, we had faced many difficulties last year. We were fifth or fourth in the table but ended up reaching the final. So we have done way better than last year, so I think it's just a matter of winning a match or two. Today's match will be a big game for us," he concluded.
After defeating Dambulla Giants, Galle Gladiators moved second on the points table with 7 points to their name. The Bhanuka Rajapaksa-led side will next face Jaffna Kings in their last league match.
(ANI inputs)
