How a picture launched 'little Sanga' into the spotlight

The Indian Express' Bharat Sundaresan chronicles Sri Lankan child prodigy Shanmuganathan Sharujan's nascent cricketing career, and finds out how a photograph changed the little boy's life

It was a balmy September day in 2011 and the five-year-old was at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo with his father, dressed in all whites, to watch Sri Lanka play Australia. Michael Hussey, an occasional bowler, was bowling to Lankan star Kumar Sangakkara. In the stands, Sharujan was also getting ready, to play a ball bowled by his father. Both left-handed, Sangakkara and Sharujan struck the ball almost together, both getting down on one knee and dispatching it in elegant cover drives.

Sharu is now the star player in a junior team club, also pitching in as a leg-spinner. Shanmuganathan is at hand, photographing his son's exploits, which can also be seen on YouTube. "It's not just the cover-drive. Martin Crowe was doing commentary once and noted how Sharu plays the hook shot, the sweep and even the flick just like Kumar Sangakkara. Even Kumar has acknowledged the similarity," says Shanmuganathan.