CLT20 Qualifier 3: Otago Volts vs Kandurata Maroons - Five players to watch out for

Dhammika Prasad (Pace bowler, Kandurata Maroons)

FILE PHOTO: Dhammika Prasad bowls during training. Prasad’s pace would be useful in Mohali’s helpful conditions

Dhammika Prasad caught the public’s eye in 2008 when he grabbed three prize wickets of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid during the first Test of India’s nightmarish tour of Sri Lanka. His raw pace, the ability to hit the deck hard and mastery over swing and seam make him one of the key strike bowlers in the Maroons’ line-up.

The 30-year-old has been in and out of the national squad owing to injuries and a decline in form at the most inopportune times, but on each occasion, he has risen like a phoenix.

On a lively track in Mohali, he can provide just that extra yard or two of pace and accuracy that his team missed in the first game.

Prasad can also hit the ball a long way, a trait that has carried forward from his early days as a top-order batsman for his school. He will be an excellent choice if the Maroons are to stay alive in this competition.