Sri Lanka Cricket Awards 2024 ka mahaul kuch alag hi tha. Ek taraf jashn ka samaa tha, toh doosri taraf thodi si udaasi bhi, kyunki is saal ka cricket season kuch khaas nahi raha. Sri Lanka ke liye 2024 mein kaafi ups and downs rahe – World Test Championship final mein jagah na bana paane ka dukh toh tha, lekin iske bawajood kai khiladiyon ne apni chamak dikhai. Awards ki raat, jo 9 June 2025 ko Colombo mein hui, ek baar phir se is baat ka saboot thi ki Sri Lanka ke cricketers mein talent ki kami nahi hai. Kamindu Mendis aur Chamari Athapaththu is raat ke sabse bade sitare rahe, jabki Wanindu Hasaranga aur Kavisha Dilhari ne bhi apni kabiliyat ka jhanda gaad diya.
Kamindu Mendis: Test Cricket ka naya hero
Kamindu Mendis ko Men’s Cricketer of the Year ka award mila, aur yeh koi surprise nahi tha. 2024 mein unhone Tests mein 1049 runs banaye, sirf 9 matches mein, jismein 5 centuries aur 3 fifties shamil thi. Unka average raha 74.92, jo unhe 1000 se zyada runs banane wale 6 batsmen mein sabse upar le gaya. Yeh performance unhe Sir Don Bradman ke saath joint-third fastest 1000 Test runs banane wale khiladi ke roop mein bhi la khada kiya, sirf 13 innings mein. Kamindu ka ek shandaar century England ke khilaaf Manchester mein aaya, jise unhone apne career ka sabse yaadgaar moment bataya. Yeh century unke liye khaas tha, kyunki England jaisi zameen par run banana asaan nahi hota.
Lekin yeh sab itna asaan nahi tha. 2024 se pehle Kamindu ne sirf ek Test match khela tha, aur unka international career shuruati daur mein hi tha. Unki consistency aur pressure mein perform karne ki kabiliyat ne unhe Sri Lanka ka go-to player bana diya. World Test Championship ke liye Sri Lanka ki ummeed kaafi had tak Kamindu ke runs par hi tiki thi, lekin team ka overall performance unhe final tak nahi le ja saka. Phir bhi, Kamindu ka yeh safar ek naye star ke uday ka prateek hai.
Chamari Athapaththu: Women’s Cricket ki shaan
Women’s Cricketer of the Year ka award Chamari Athapaththu ke naam raha, aur unhone is raat ko apne naam kar diya. Chamari ne na sirf Women’s T20I Batter, Bowler aur All-rounder awards jeete, balki ODI Batter aur All-rounder categories mein bhi top par rahi. Unka 2024 ka performance shandaar tha – 720 runs aur 21 wickets T20Is mein, aur ODI mein bhi unhone apni batting se sabko prabhavit kiya. Unka ek shandaar moment tha Women’s Asia Cup 2024 ka final, jahan unhone India ke khilaaf 61 runs ki shandaar innings kheli, jisse Sri Lanka ne apna pehla Asia Cup title jeeta. Yeh jeet na sirf Sri Lanka ke liye historic thi, balki Chamari ke leadership aur batting ka bhi ek bada example thi.
Chamari ka safar hamesha se hi inspiring raha hai. 2011 mein Ireland ke khilaaf unka ODI century Sri Lanka ki pehli women’s international century thi. Unhone franchise cricket mein bhi apna naam banaya, jaise WBBL mein Sydney Thunder ke liye 511 runs banaye aur Player of the Tournament ka award jeeta. Lekin yeh sab itna asaan nahi tha – Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 mein Sri Lanka ka performance kaafi disappointing raha, jahan unki team group stage se aage nahi badh saki. Chamari ne khud is baat ko swikara ki fans ko unki team se badi ummeedein thi, lekin woh unhe poora nahi kar sake.
Hasaranga aur Dilhari: Dusre sitare
Wanindu Hasaranga ne bhi awards ki raat mein apni chamak dikhai, teen awards jeet kar – T20I Bowler, ODI Bowler aur T20I All-rounder. Unka ek shandaar performance tha Zimbabwe ke khilaaf 7 for 19, jo ODI history ka fifth-best bowling figure hai. Hasaranga ke 38 wickets T20Is mein aur 26 wickets ODIs mein unhe ek shandaar all-rounder ke roop mein dikhaate hain. Lekin kuch fans ka maan na hai ki T20I Bowler ka award shayad Matheesha Pathirana ya Maheesh Theekshana ko milna chahiye tha. Phir bhi, Hasaranga ka contribution Sri Lanka ke liye hamesha se hi mahatvapurna raha hai.
Kavisha Dilhari ne bhi apna naam roshan kiya, ODI Bowler award jeet kar. Unhone 8 ODIs mein 17 wickets liye, jo Chamari ke clean sweep ko rokne ke liye kaafi tha. Dilhari ka ek yaadgaar moment tha 2018 mein India ke khilaaf unka match-winning performance, jahan unhone last moments mein boundaries maar kar Sri Lanka ko 10-match losing streak se bahar nikala. Chamari khud Dilhari ki tareef karti hain, unhe apne jaisa aggressive aur energetic khiladi kehti hain.
Aur bhi chamke sitare
Awards mein aur bhi kai khiladiyon ne apni jagah banayi. Prabath Jayasuriya ko Test Bowler ka award mila, jinhone 9 Tests mein 48 wickets liye, jo unhe 2024 ke top wicket-takers mein shamil karta hai. Dhananjaya de Silva ne Test All-rounder ka award jeeta, jabki Kusal Mendis aur Pathum Nissanka ne T20I aur ODI Batter awards mein apna naam roshan kiya. Dunith Wellalage aur Harshitha Samarawickrama ko bhi ICC Players of the Month ka award mila August 2024 ke liye, jo Sri Lanka ke liye ek rare double achievement tha.
Ek bittersweet shaam
Yeh awards night ek taraf toh jashn ka mauka thi, kyunki isne Sri Lanka ke cricketing talent ko duniya ke saamne la khada kiya. Kamindu, Chamari, Hasaranga aur Dilhari jaise khiladiyon ne dikha diya ki Sri Lanka ka cricket abhi bhi zinda hai aur naye sitaron se chamak raha hai. Lekin is jashn ke peechhe ek chhupa hua dukh bhi tha – Sri Lanka ka international stage par consistency ka kami. World Test Championship final se chhukna aur Women’s T20 World Cup mein early exit ne fans ke dil mein ek khali pan chhoda. Yeh awards toh sirf ek shuruaat hain – asli safar abhi baki hai, aur Sri Lanka ko apne aap ko ek baar phir se prove karna hoga.
