From school bus driver to India’s left-arm throwdown specialist

Colombo: As Rohit Sharma effortlessly flicked left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six over backward square leg during the Asia Cup Super 4 match here, the cameras zoomed in on a person standing on the Indian dressing room balcony.

Even hardcore cricket buffs would have found it tough to identify him, or fathom why he was shown on TV.

Meet Nuwan Seneviratne, the left-arm throwdown specialist of the Indian team.

So how did Seneviratne, whose cricketing career ended in obscurity having played just two First-Class matches in Sri Lanka, became a prominent part of the Indian cricket team?

The answer is quite simple. Senior India batters Rohit and Virat Kohli believe that Seneviratne’s ability to generate extreme pace and acute angles with his left-arm throwdowns helps them tackle left-arm pacers better in a match situation.

But the journey of Seneviratne was not so simple. There was a time when he did not know about his future, and tried to earn his livelihood as a school van driver in Colombo.

In his free time, Seneviratne came back to his old club -- the Nondescripts Cricket Club, Maitland.

During one of the trips to the NCC in 2015, he met former Sri Lankan batsman Charith Senanayake and his life turned the curve for the better.

“Nuwan is a hard-working boy from a humble background, and I saw him first when he was assisting the Sri Lanka A’ side with their fielding drills.

“He was doing some bowling and throwdowns to them, and I was immediately impressed with his skills and work ethics. He was first to enter the field and last to leave,” Senanayake.