Yet again, the ICC T20 World Cup created a global cricket inspiring fairytale. The protagonist of the latest tale is a leg-spinner of Sri Lanka birth and a pizza-maker of Tuscany domicile, yet to play for Italy on international cricket’s biggest platform.
As Italy prepares to debut at the ICC T20 World Cup, the tale of Crishan Kalugamage encapsulates passion, perseverance, and of course, pizza.
Who Is Crishan Kalugamage?
Crishan Kalugamage, also known as Kalugamage, is a cricketer who hails from Sri Lanka but migrated to Italy in his teens nearly two decades ago, along with his parents. Born in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Kalugamage developed his cricketing skills in competitive school cricket, playing for both his school’s Under-13 and Under-15 teams.
Nevertheless, moving to Europe meant giving up a vibrant cricket culture found in Sri Lanka, replacing it with a country whose popular sport is football. Yet, Kalugamage refused to let his cricket dreams fade into oblivion.
From Negombo to Tuscany: A Journey Across Continents
Having settled down in Italy, Kalugamage later opted to join the Roma Cricket Club, which is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Italy. Although cricket is a minor sport in Italy, Kalugamage had an opportunity to further-enhance his cricketing skills.
He now works at a pizzeria in Lucca, Tuscany. Sundays, which are normally busy days for the restaurant business, often overlapped with his cricket games.
“I lost a lot of jobs. Sunday is very busy, and many bosses aren’t keen on you missing work because you’re playing cricket,” Kalugamage revealed in an interview.
Despite the challenges, his love for cricket did not change.
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Who is Crishan Kalugamage: The Leg-Sp
A specialist leg-spinner, Crishan Kalugamage plays for Italy since 2022. He humorously makes comparisons between pizza making and bowling.
“It’s all about the fingertips,” he says.
In much the same fashion as athletes apply spin to a cricket ball (Turn and Drift), John Davison has been the head coach of Italy and is known worldwide for his expertise in spin bowling as “The Spin Whisperer”. He has mentored the best spinners in the game, including Nathan Lyon (Australia) and many others globally.
With the skills he has acquired through coaching on all levels, he provides valuable experience to young bowlers looking to improve their spin revolution.
Cricketing Inspirations of Crishan Kalugamage
Crishan Kalugamage was a child in Sri Lanka who looked up to the following legends when growing up:
Aravinda de Silva
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Sanath Jayasuriya
Once Crishan began to develop into a leg spin bowler, his list of legends that inspired him increased to include the following players:
Shane Warne
Wanindu Hasaranga
Rashid Khan
Crishan’s influences are easily seen through his aggressive spin bowling technique and attacking mentality.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Crishan Kalugamage on the Big Stage
For Italy, being part of the ICC T20 World Cup is a major achievement. For Kalugamage it represents a long-time goal as a result of all his effort and time sacrificed to reach this point.
Although Kalugamage did not take any wickets when he played in Italy’s first game against Scotland, he is focused on making his mark on this Tournament. Being a passionate Inter Milan fan, Kalugamage has planned to celebrate if Eastwood meets success.
If he succeeds in taking an important wicket on the global platform, his dream is to mimic Inter Milan star striker Lautaro Martinez’s signature crossing his arms in triumph, an ode to his idol footballer.
Balancing Pizza and Professional Cricket
For now, Kalugamage continues to juggle his restaurant job with international cricket ambitions.
“Now, my main job is in the restaurant. After the World Cup, we’ll see if I get a chance to play somewhere. Hopefully, in the future, it’s only cricket,” he shared.
The story of the cricketer, Crishan Kalugamage, exemplifies the daily struggles that many cricketers from Associate nations face while trying to represent their country at the world level, while also still working full-time to support themselves.
How Crishan Kalugamage’s Story Inspires Cricketers Worldwide
However, Crishan Kalugamage’s journey exhibits how globalized cricket is today, and how many more countries now participate at an international level in cricket than before.
From the cricket-full streets of Sri Lanka to a pizzeria in Tuscany, and now to the ICC T20 World Cup, his journey signifies a commitment beyond borders.
The continually repeated tale of Crishan Kalugamage, a pizza maker who wants to be part of Italy’s world cup quest, will be told again while they strive for glory at the world cup.
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