KATHMANDU: Some innings in cricket history transcend the scoreboard, leaving an imprint on the game itself. As the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) approaches, teams have launched an active campaign to recruit key players.

Among them is Janakpur Bolts’ batsman Lahiru Milantha, a Sri Lanka–born player now based in the United States, continuing to advance his cricket career on the international stage.

It is unlikely that anyone has forgotten his 87-run innings in the final against Sudurpashchim Royals in the first edition of the NPL. Janakpur, which had suffered defeat against Sudurpashchim in the league and qualifier stages, won the title thanks to his excellent innings.

Having suffered a 72-run defeat in the league and a massive eight-wicket loss in the first qualifier, Janakpur’s confidence was shaken before the final. But Lahiru alone reversed the entire story of the game.

Sudurpashchim head coach Jagat Tamata still does not want to remember that day. He says, “We played well. But Lahiru’s innings and his partnership with Aasif Sheikh reversed the game.”

The same Lahiru, who single-handedly reversed the game’s result in the first NPL with his exceptional performance, has been brought back by Janakpur for the second edition. He is currently so enthusiastic about the love, support, and success he received from Janakpur fans in the first edition that he didn’t even consider playing for another team.

Sri Lanka to America

Lahiru’s story begins in the city of Kalutara, Sri Lanka. Born on May 28, 1994, he pursued his studies along with cricket at St. Peter’s College, Colombo. Initially, he bowled leg-spin. But after earning a spot in the college’s first team, he became a wicketkeeper-batter.

After making his List ‘A’ debut for Ragama Cricket Club on December 12, 2013, he found success in first-class and T20 cricket. In the 2017-18 domestic season, he scored 448 runs in six matches of Sri Lanka’s Premier Limited Over tournament. He was also the top run-scorer in that competition. Following this, he played both the Sri Lanka Super Four Provincial and Sri Lanka Super Provincial One-Day tournaments and won the ‘Best Batter’ award in February 2019.

His reputation skyrocketed in 2020 when he hit a double century of 252 runs in the Premier League.

Janakpur’s decisive player

The success story of Janakpur in the first edition of the NPL would be incomplete without Lahiru. His discipline, patience, and ability to build an innings became the foundation for the team’s strong top order.

In the first match of the tournament against Biratnagar Kings, he played an unbeaten innings of 75 runs. For this, he was chosen as the ‘Player of the Match.’ His play not only brought the team a win but also boosted their confidence. He performed reasonably well in three matches. This stabilized Janakpur’s start.

However, in the fifth match of the league, he suddenly lost form. He scored only seven runs in the first encounter against Sudurpashchim. His bat remained silent in the next four matches.

He is not a player for casual performance but one who shines in big moments. Everyone felt that in the final match. Playing a powerful innings of 87 runs against Sudurpashchim, he secured the title for the team. Spectators were mesmerized by his style of scoring runs and his confidence. He encouraged his partner, kept the opponent under pressure, and controlled the pace of the game.

“This experience was truly amazing. It’s difficult to put into words,” Lahiru said. Even before the NPL, he had played a similarly impressive innings to help Lumbini All Stars win the first edition of the Nepal T-20 League, organized by CAN. He scored 41 runs against the Biratnagar Kings in the final and was third on the list of top run-scorers. At that time, he scored 349 runs, including two half-centuries, in 11 innings. The next time, the name of the tournament changed. Other franchises also tried to change his team. But he chose the team invested in by the former manager.

Interestingly, before this tournament, he had also played for Harare Bolts, a team with a similar name to Janakpur Bolts, in the Zimbabwe T-10 League. New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham was also included in that team. That’s why the name Janakpur Bolts lured him. The first edition of the NPL was a different experience for him compared to the T-20 League, which was involved in match-fixing.

There was pressure in the final match, but in his view, it became a challenge. “We had nothing to lose. We had to maximize the benefit in the power play. Aasif and I had performed well in previous games. So, we played with a clean mind, without any extra burden on the mind. Aasif also performed brilliantly. I kept encouraging him, ‘Play easy. Don’t worry. Remember it’s a do-or-die game’,” he said.

When Lahiru was out in the 15.3 over, Janakpur needed 19 runs. But after he got out, Janakpur struggled until the last eight balls to chase the target of 185. Fortunately, Harsh Thaker played an unbeaten innings of 30 runs, and his contribution was not wasted.

Throughout the tournament, he scored 293 runs, including two half-centuries. Along with this, he also became the player who hit the most fours. Lahiru, who hit 35 fours, also put himself at the top of the list of wicketkeepers with the most ‘stumpings and dismissals.’

Amitram Shrestha, director of Janakpur, says that he was signed this time based on his previous performance. “Lahiru’s signing is a strategic move for Janakpur. He has experience playing in Nepal, and that is a great asset for us,” he says.