Pavan Rathnayake

Pavan Rathnayake is a talented right-handed batter and occasional right-arm off-break bowler who has rapidly ascended through the Sri Lankan cricket ranks. Born on August 24, 2002, in Colombo, he is an alumnus of Mahanama College and first made his mark in the domestic circuit with the Police Sports Club and Colombo Cricket Club. Rathnayake’s international breakthrough arrived in late 2025, where he made his ODI debut against Pakistan. He quickly proved his pedigree at the highest level by smashing a magnificent maiden ODI century (121 off 115 balls) against England in January 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium, an innings characterized by technical poise and aggressive stroke play.

As of February 2026, Rathnayake has been named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, serving as a key replacement for Pramod Madushan. His inclusion follows a string of impressive performances in both white-ball formats, including a resilient 40 against England in the final T20I before the tournament. In the domestic and franchise landscape, he has represented the Dambulla Sixers and Kandy Falcons, maintaining a first-class average of over 50. Now part of the national squad led by Dasun Shanaka, the 23-year-old is viewed as a vital middle-order asset for Sri Lanka as they prepare to host the world's best on home soil.