Age is not a barrier and fitness is the key factor to perform at sports. A player who scored heavily at school level and club level entered the National team but couldn't stay long in the National team. He is non other than dashing stroke maker Indika de Saram from Matara.
Samantha Indika de Saram the 49-year-old right hand batter and right arm off spinner who can keep the wickets too is a product of St Thomas College Matara. The hard hitting batter and wicket keeper in his school days reached club level very easily. He played for National team during 1999 to 2009 while got chance to play only four Test matches and 15 ODI s. As a top order batter Saram would have been ideal for T- 20 cricket but unfortunately that period there was no T-20 cricket and Saram had to play ODIs.
After leaving the school Saram was lucky to play for Bloomfield, Moors SC, Tamil Union, Colts CC, BRC and Ragama CC and once again he is lucky to play for Bloomfield as a division three cricketer in this ongoing season.
Indika is still in touch with cricket and is a qualified coach who is presently works as Panadura SC head coach.
"When I was playing my matches always my father came to see my skills and he always has been a great strength from my start of the cricket career. Today I really enjoy cricket coaching while I have opportunity to produce several National level cricketers. When I was at Colts CC Angelo Mathews, Kusal Janith Perera, Akila Dhananjaya were with my team". For a short period Saram was Fingara Cricket Academy coach and later joined with his present club Panadura SC.
"When I was in school in under 19 team I scored 304 runs in just 149 bowls with 25 sixes and 19 fours and was lucky to broke the school record that time at my home grounds Matara Uyanwatta Stadium. It was against Sri Devananda College Ambalangoda. But a new record was established by former Mahinda skipper Navod Paranavithana who passed the 400 run mark two years ago".
Saram entered the National side in 1999-2000 for the Zimbabwe tour as number 6-7 batter but that slot never gave him a chance to establish for a long period. He was dropped from the team in 2001 but after eight years he made a comeback when he was included in the T- 20 squad against the touring Indians and later for the ICC World T- 20 in England.
Saram' s Test debut was in 1999 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo while ODI debut was in 1999 against Australia at Galle. He played one and only T20 international against India at R. Premadasa International Stadium in 2009.
However 49-year-old Saram never give up the game and once again last Sunday he scored 229 runs in 144 balls with 22 fours and 11 sixes at the division three cricket tournament match. Saram once against played for his old club Bloomfield and hit this sparkling knock against Vidyodaya SC at Bloomfield grounds. "I still really enjoying cricket and my former National team mate Saman Jayantha invited me to come and play for Bloomfield once again. The first three wickets were fell down quickly then I started my sparkling innings to complete double century," added Indika de Saram.
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