CRICKET is in mourning after a former star of the sport was shot dead at the age of 41.
Dhammika Niroshana, the former captain of the Sri Lanka’s Under-19 cricket team, was shot and killed at his home on Tuesday night.
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Niroshana was at home with his wife and two children when the gunman carried out the fatal attack.
Further details surrounding the incident have not been revealed.
Niroshana had the honour of captaining future international stars Farvez Maharoof, Angelo Mathews, and Upul Tharanga during his career.
And despite his own potential, Niroshana made the difficult decision to retire from the sport at just 20.
He played eight List A matches and 12 first-class games for Galle Cricket Club, snaring over 300 wickets.
Known for his ability to both score runs and take wickets, Niroshana’s talent was evident in his performances in U19 Test matches and One-Day Internationals.
He made his debut for Sri Lanka’s U19 team in 2000.
Cricket fans took to social media to pay respects to the former star.
Sourav Chaudhury posted to Twitter: “RIP to Niroshana,” while Rex Clementine described it as “shocking news”.
One of his fans stated that his legacy as a talented cricketer in Sri Lanka will “forever be remembered”.