Chanaka Ruwansiri

Chanaka Ruwansiri is a Sri Lankan sensation who has dominated UK Premier League cricket for the best part of a decade.

The batting all-rounder initially starred in the Northants League between 2015, and 2019 (then another in 2023), including a Premiership in 2015. Playing for Rushden Town, he topped the Premier run charts in 2015 (922 runs at 54.24), 2016 (768 runs at 54.86), and 2018 (878 runs at 58.53), and finished narrowly second in 2019 (994 runs at 58.47). He also excelled with the ball, taking 32 wickets at 16.63 in his maiden season before finishing second and third on the Premier wicket charts in 2016 (42 wickets at 15.38) and 2018 (38 wickets at 17.42). To be fair, despite not featuring towards the top of either run or wicket charts in 2017, he still produced a storming season, racking up 810 runs at over 47 and 36 wickets at 22.75.

Ruwansiri is a dynamic cricketer – an explosive batter and wicket-taking off-spinner, who has played 170 domestic matches in Sri Lanka for the best part of a decade. In 76 first-class matches, he has 3,752 runs at 31.79 with 7 centuries, alongside 114 wickets at 31.12 with 2 five-wicket hauls. The 2019/20 season was his most prolific, scoring 645 runs at 46.07 with 2 centuries and 17 wickets to boot.

However, it’s in UK league cricket that he’s really impressed, particularly during his 6-season Northants League stint, following his maiden UK season with Bolton League club Tonge in 2014, and subsequent stints with North Mymms (Hertfordshire Cricket League) in 2021 and 2022.

During his initial 5-season stint (2015-19), Ruwansiri belted 17 hundreds for Rushden Town (who after recently merging, are now known as Rushden and Higham Town) – the majority of these have been belligerent, match-winning innings. In total, he churned out 4,701 runs at 52.23 with a further 21 half-centuries for the Northants club.

Ruwansiri was equally dominant with the ball, with 8 five-wicket hauls. Interestingly, during 6 of his 8 league 5-for's, the Sri Lankan star also churned out runs in complete all-round performances. These included match performances of 5-37 (17) and 92 (94) v Geddington and 6-39 (10) and 83 (94) against 2014 Premiers (and 2015 Runners-Up) Peterborough Town and 5-39 (10) and 153 v Horton House in 2018. In all cricket for Rushden, Ruwansiri bagged 203 wickets at 18.57. 

After five outstanding summers with Rushden Town, including a Northants Premier League winning season, Ruwansiri decided to seek pastures new and signed with North Mymms for their 2021 Hertfordshire Cricket League campaign. Whilst not as prolific in 2021, with averages of 29.13, and 22.54, with bat and ball respectively, his performances were sufficient to secure a return to the club in 2022. Unsurprisingly, he made amends hitting 774 wickets at 41 alongside taking 40 wickets at 19.78.

The Sri Lankan star is now available for a UK return in 2024 and is, without doubt, one of the best professionals still available on the market.