NISHAN MADUSHKA: Consistency has been his success story 

Ever since he stormed his way to attracting the public gaze by his astounding gallop to the 1000-run landmark in five innings in domestic cricket on the trot to becoming the fastest Sri Lankan  batsman to do so in going past some former greats, this discovery from the cricket crazy city of Moratuwa has simply strolled his way to bigger things. Having started his career at little known Moratu Vidyalaya unlike the better known Colombo schools, the 23-year old has continued to walk the walk with the bat enriched in a type of wonderment by which he came into the reckoning.

Born Kottasinghakkarage Nishan Madushka  Fernando on September 19, 1999, it has been a truly magical breakthrough bordering on the gallantry of reaching sky high with his bat.

Tall and broad shouldered, the pleasing first impressions he has brought to the game is the compact assuredness written all over with a chiselled faced fronting to doing battle in the middle with bowlers. Well articulated muscle power is the deriving verve transcended to his willow works.

Indeed, the wicket-keeper batsman has virtually forced his way slap bang in a quicksilver touch to gaining big stage national recognition at a time dime a dozen hopefuls have raised their hands for that dream call up to represent their country. So much so that he has scaled the ladder to opening the batting in only his second test  against Ireland having debuted on Match 17, 2023 versus New Zealand scoring a back to the wall 39 in a game won by New Zealand. But Madushka’s brief foray to the big stage has been marked by that bulldozing valour that has made the rest of the cticketing world to take notice of. He scored two centuries and a double century 241 for Sri Lanka A against England Lions off 423 balls showcased by 25 boundaries and 4 sixes in making the national selectors take further notice of him. If that was to be a stepping stone in unofficial tests to finding greater recognition at international level, Madushka’s biggest moment was to arrive when he powered his way to his maiden test century against Ireland in only his third test appearance and fourth innings in the second test which Sri Lanka won by an innings and 10 runs. There again Madushka had atoned having fallen cheaply in the one innings in the first test that Sri Lanka trounced Ireland by an innings end 280 runs.

Interestingly, Nishan Madushka has succeeded in infusing a balmy effect to the Lankan batting department in plugging hitherto loopholes that had been a negating  factor.