Avishka Lakshan fine athlete and cricketer

Avishka was born on 20th July 2001 and when he was admitted to school in 2007 the Principal was Rathnaweera Perera and his first class teacher was Mrs. Indrani Perera. From his smaller days he was keen on sports and at the age of ten years he took part for the school annual athletic meet and won 75 and 100 metres and High Jump and in the following year too he participated in the school sports meet and swept the board and his Master in Charge was Mr.Sujith.

When he was in grade three he played Tennis and continued up to grade six and represented the school in tournaments and became runner up and his Master in Charge and coach was Mr.Chaminda.

In the meantime his Parents Ananda Somasiri presently attached to the Kalurata North Police as a Sergeant and Mother Chamila Nilanthi Perera took their son to School Cricket Academy coach Sunil Saluwadana and handed over to him and in 2012 he was selected to the under 13 division three team and he scored 251 runs with two fifties and grabbed 19 wickets with one five

wicket haul and in the following year he collected 320 runs with two half centuries and claimed 24 wickets with two five wicket hauls and in his last year captaining the team scored 380 runs with three fifties and captured 36 scalps with four five wicket hauls.

In the following year in the under 15 team he scored 410 runs with a century and two fifties and bagged 45 wickets with five wicket hauls and played for the Prima Cup and in the next year captaining the team scored 451 runs with a century and three fifties and took 38 wickets with five 5 wicket hauls and played for the Prima Cup and earned the Best Bowlers

Prize and he was in the under 15 squad for the Malaysian Tour but he was not considered and his coach was Ajith Weerasinghe. That year too he played for the Prima Cup.

Then in the following year he played for the under 17 team and scored 520 runs with five fifties and grabbed 31 wickets with four five wicket hauls and in his second year he led the team and scored 510 runs with one century and three fifties and captured 38 wickets with 5 five wicket hauls.

His first year in the first eleven team was in 2014/15 and he was in his second year in the under 13 and he was the “Baby of the Team” and played for the first eleven team for seven successive years and went on to captain the team. Perhaps it may be a record his coaches from time to time were Rumesh Silva, Milroy Silva, Mr.Jeevantha, Niroshan Bandarathileke and Buddhika Madushan. In his first year he got sixteen wickets with one five wicket haul. In his second year he passed the 400 run mark with four fifties and claimed 70 wickets with one ten wicket haul and seven five wicket hauls. In his third year he scored 570 runs with a ton and four fifties and bagged 79 wickets with two ten wicket hauls and seven five wicket hauls andthen in 2017/18 he scored 795 runs with two centuries and five fifties and captured 68 wickets with two ten wicket hauls and seven five wicket hauls and in the following year he got 820 runs with three centuries and 72 wickets with two ten wickets hauls and seven five wicket hauls and in 2019/20 he got 920 runs with four centuries and four fifties and claimed 81 wickets with three ten wicket hauls and seven five wicket hauls and he carried away the Best Bowlers Prize.

In the following year at the two day tournament they came up to Semi Finals and this year in the one day tournament they came up to quarter finals. During his career he captained the under 19 team and scored 3905 runs and has taken 386 wickets and won colours. His Principal was Sarath Chandra Silva and he was very supportive of him.

With all these performances under his belt he was selected for the Sri Lanka Schools under 19 team and played versus India in Sri Lanka and he was in the 15 member squad on three occasions.