Dushan Bandara will lead the Reykjavík Vikings team in 2021, following the promotion of Sadun Lankathilaka to the position of Vice-Chairman of the Icelandic Cricket Association.
“Dushan is a young and talented player, so why not make him the captain? I think it’s time to give a younger player a chance,” said Lankathilaka. “I’m also keen to distance myself from suggestions that I place Reykjavík’s interests above those of the Association,” he said. “I want to do something for Icelandic cricket as a whole.”
There is no question that Bandara is the outstanding player in Icelandic cricket history. He has played 73 games since first playing in 2015, scoring 2300 runs at 42.59 and taking 71 wickets at 18.31. He made his debut for Reykjavík, but has played for Kópavogur since 2018, making his return to Vikings colours something of a coup for the capital’s team, since it raises the prospect of him batting in harness with Iceland’s other great batsman, Derick Deonarain. It is thought that Bandara accepted a transfer on the condition that he would be captain.
The Reykjavík club was formed as Kylfan Cricket Club, Reykjavik in 2000, under the captaincy of Ragnar Kristinsson. In 2015 its name was shortened simply to Reykjavík Vikings. They have seven trophies in the cabinet: the Icelandic Cricket Cup in 2000, 2001 and 2003, the Volcanic Ashes in 2017 and 2019, and the Summer Solstice Sixes in 2019 and 2020. Bandara becomes the club’s ninth captain.
It is the first time that Bandara has captained a cricket team at any level of the game. The younger brother of Lakmal Bandara, the newly-appointed captain of the Iceland national team, Dushan has not yet served even as a vice-captain. “I believe I should be working up to my potential level,” he said. “It’s an important and energetic role, and I’m looking forward to it.”
The player auction for the 2021 domestic season will be live-blogged on this website from 1400 UTC on Saturday 9 January. Full details of the auction will be published this Friday.
The official Reykjavík captains and their records
2000—2008 R Kristinsson P8 W4 L4
2015 LR Nelson P3 W1 L2
2016—2017 YD Deonarain P9 W4 L5
2018 JWV Robertson P6 W3 L3
KC Harris P4 W1 L3
2019 D Cook P3 W3
RMNL Bandara P11 W6 L5
2020 S Lankathilaka P13 W6 L6 A1