Who Is Crishan Kalugamage? The Pizza Chef Behind Italy's First-Ever T20 World Cup Win
A pizzaiolo by profession, Crishan Kalugamage's work often clashed with his sporting dreams.
Leg-spinner Crishan Kalugamage starred in Italy's first-ever win at the T20 World Cup. The 32-year-old returned figures of 3/18, setting up a 10-wicket win against Nepal in the Azzurri's maiden campaign. Chasing 124, brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca got Italy off to a flyer, racing to 16 runs in the first two overs. Ultimately, it was Kalugamage who was named Player of the Match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for his clinical opening spell.
Who Is Crishan Kalugamage?
Born in Sri Lanka, Kalugamage moved to Italy with his parents as a teenager. He almost gave up hope of fulfilling his passion for cricket, unaware that Italy is home to one of Europe's oldest cricket clubs, the Roma Cricket Club.
A pizzaiolo by profession, Kalugamage's work often clashed with his sporting dreams. Despite working full-time at a pizzeria in Lucca, in the Tuscany region, he would carve out time from his grueling schedule to hone his leg-spinning skills.
Growing up in the Negombo region of Sri Lanka, he idolized the likes of Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya. He played at U-13 and U-15 levels in school before moving to Europe with his family. A passionate Inter Milan supporter, he is a big fan of Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez, who also wears the captain's armband for the Nerazzurri.
Having lived in Italy for over a decade, Kalugamage is fluent in Italian, acting as a vital communicator for the side. After the clash against Nepal, he expressed gratitude to his family and his countrymen, saying it was a "massive moment" for him.
"Thank you so much to all the crowd and all my teammates, and I'm really happy about the win. I always, always, always want to help the team win the match and do my best for my nation, Italy. So I'm happy. I also worked hard with my coaching staff, and I'm really happy with my line and length; I took three wickets. So a massive moment for me after so many sacrifices. I want to thank my family and all the Italians," he said in Italian.
(With ANI Inputs)
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