Fifth year coloursman, all rounder, Sri Lanka Schools under 15 former captain and Sri Lanka Schools under 19 player, right hand bat who bowls leg spin and Sri Lanka Premier Tournament cricketer Pavan Rathnayake brought honour and glory for his Alma Mater Mahanama College Colombo.
Pavan was admitted to the Grade One of his present school when A. K. D. Prashan was at the helm of the school and his first class teacher was Mrs. Wimalaratne. From his smaller days he was keen in cricket and his parents Suminda Rathnayake and Nishanthi Rukshika admitted their son to Mahanama College Cricket Academy and he initially came under Mr. Krishantha and he advised Pavan to take up to wicket keeping. In 2012 he came under Mr. Akila and got selected to the under 13 team and scored 345 runs with two half centuries. In his second year under Pasindu Liyanarachchi scored 440 runs with four fifties and in 2015 captaining the team he scored 490 runs with five half centuries.
 Pavan Rathnayake |
In the same year he joined Nelson Mendis Cricket Academy and in the MCA Tournament they were the Champions and he carried away the Best Batsman and the Man of the Finals Awards and his coaches from time to time were Mr. Manoj, Mr. Lasantha, Mr. Wasantha, Mr. Janitha and Mrs. Sanduni. Same year they toured Bangalore, India and they clinched the Champions Trophy. This tour was a very fine exposure to Pavan.
In his first year in the under 15 in 2015 he scored 622 runs with three centuries and four fifties and bagged 34 scalps with his leg spin. He won the Best Batsman’s and the Best All Rounder’s Awards and played for the Prima Cup. Following year leading his team he collected 727 runs with two centuries and five fifties at a Bradmansque average of 145.4 and went on to captain the Sri Lanka under 15 school team to Malaysia where Sri Lanka met South Africa, Malaysia and Bangladesh and Sri Lankans were the Champions and Pavan carried away the Man of the Finals Award and in the same year he captained the Provincial Team in the Prima Cup.
He led the under 17 team in his first year and got 380 runs with three half centuries and in the next year he scored 480 runs with one century and three fifties.
His first year in the first eleven was 2016/17 and as the “Baby of the Team” he scored 505 runs with one century and two fifties and played in the Big Match too. In his second year he scored 680 runs with two centuries and the top score being 175 runs versus President’s College Kotte and five fifties. In the following year he got 710 runs with three centuries and four fifties and played in the Big Match and the Limited Over and in the Limited Over he got the Best Batsman’s Award.
Last season he passed the Magical 1000 runs with six centuries including an unbeaten double century and a century totalling 300 runs against Prince of Wales’ College this is the first ever instance that the Cambrians tasted a such performance against them during their 124 year cricket history and this may be a record for either schools.
Pavan scored four fifties and collected 1227 runs and he is the highest run getter for the season and perhaps this may be a record for his Alma Mater. He represented the Western Provincial team and he scored 148 runs with two fifties. In 2018 and 2019 he carried away a Man of the Match Award in the one dayers. During his cricket career he has so far selected 6606 in all Inter School formats which included 13 centuries and forty fifties.
This could be a record for his school and all schools in the island and he has another one year yet to play for his school.
With all these performances under his belt he represented Sri Lanka under 19 team against the visiting Pakistani and Aussie teams and played versus the Under Sixteen England Touring team in 2016. In 2019 he captained the under 17 Division One team to win the much coveted Championship.
In club level he represented Wattala Anthonians Club in Sara Trophy in 2019 and for the Colombo Cricket Club in 2020 in the premier tournament and surpassed the record held by Mahela Jayawardene. who scored 150 runs when he was under 17 years. Pawan erased this record by scoring 164 runs as an under 17 player. Also he surpassed the score of Sidath Wettimuny after 41 years and he played for the CCC in the under 23 tournament.
In addition he did athletics at the School Sports Meet and in the under 13 age group he won 75 and 100 metres and long jump and in the under 15 too he won 100, 200 and long jump and became the Champion in both these age groups. In 2013 in the under 13 100 metre event he got the Junior Tarbet Colours. Same year he was awarded School Colours too.
In this context his coaches from time to time were Mr. Prashan, Kelum Gangodawila, Dulshan Elaklage, The Principal, Teachers, MIC Mr. Sidath and POG Mrs. Irash and everyone of them helped him many ways to come up the ladder. He has been appointed as the First Eleven Captain for the years 2020/21.
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