Sri Lankan player Dasun Shanaka was captaining Harare Bolt in the Zim Afro T10 League. After the league stage round, Harare Bolt was at the first position in the points table with five wins and 10 points from 7 matches, but the team could not make it to the finals. The team had to face defeat against Joburg Bangla Tigers in Qualifier-1 and Cape Town Samp Army in Qualifier-2.

Harare Bolt captain Dasun Shanaka talked about a lot of things in an exclusive interview with CricTracker ahead of the Zim Afro T10 League 2024 playoff matches. Dasun Shanaka has described T10 cricket as very fun. He is extremely happy with his impressive performance with both bat and ball for Harare Bolt in the tournament.

Dasun Shanaka also talked about the future of Sri Lankan cricket. Let us tell you, the Sri Lankan team is performing brilliantly under the leadership of head coach Sanath Jayasuriya. The team had won 3-0 in the ODI series against India. The team won a Test match against England in England after 6 years and defeated New Zealand 2-0 in the Test series at home.

Dasun Shanaka’s Exclusive Interview with CricTracker

Question: You have performed well with both bat and ball in this tournament. What would you give your opinion on this?

Answer: Yes, I am very happy that everything has gone well for me in this tournament. After coming from Sri Lanka, I was asked a lot of questions, but I am happy that I contributed with bat and ball. My form in this tournament has been excellent and I hope to continue the same performance in the playoffs as well.

In the Zim Afro T10 League 2024 season, Dasun Shanaka has scored 231 runs in 8 innings of 9 matches at an average of 57.75 for Harare Bolt. At the same time, he also took 5 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 30.00.

Question: What are your thoughts about T10 cricket? Does it help players develop their game?

Answer: Yes, T10 cricket is very fun because it gives us a chance to express our potential. Playing this format around the world helps players, especially young players, to play their shots and develop their game better. I think this is the most important aspect of this format.

Question: What did you think of Zimbabwe’s young players, and how do you see their performance in this tournament?

Answer: Zimbabwe’s young players have played with confidence. This is a good sign for Zimbabwe cricket. In the dressing room, he interacts with senior players like Richard Gleeson, Jimmy Neesham and George Munsey, which is giving him a lot of experience.

Question: What do you have to say about George Bansi’s historic century?

Answer: George Bansi scored a brilliant century. This is the only century in the T10 format, and it is certainly historic in Jim Afro T10. But the most important thing is that no one talks about how hard they work behind the scenes. He always goes to the nets first and his hard work is commendable.

Question: What is the difference between captaincy and being a player in the team, especially when you were the captain in the Sri Lankan team?

Answer: There is always pressure with captaincy. In the Sri Lankan team, I had to play lower in the batting order, where there was a lot of pressure on me. But I got to learn a lot from this, which made it easier to play in such tournaments.

Question: Do you think the future of Sri Lankan cricket is bright?

Answer: Yes, absolutely. Recently Sri Lanka has produced some brilliant cricketers, such as Pathum Nissanka, Chamika Karunaratne, and captain Charith Asalanka. They are all doing very well and I am very hopeful for the future.

Rapid Fire Round Questions with Dasun Shanaka-

Question: Which cricketer will you choose in the Jungle Survival Challenge?

Answer: MS Dhoni

Question: Who will win the foot race between you and Lasith Malinga?

Answer: Of course I do!

Question: What is your hidden talent?

Answer: Singing a song.

Question: Which team would you like to defeat in the World Cup final?

Answer: I can’t say this, but India