Limansa ‘Limmy’ Thilakarathne knows the question will follow her whenever she plays in Sri Lankan colours. As the daughter of former Sri Lanka star Tillakaratne Dilshan, people want to know whether cricket began for her by watching her father.
After Sri Lanka’s 11-run loss to India in the second Women’s Youth T20 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday, the 17-year-old answered that question directly. She said she is proud of the family name, but her own route into the game was more gradual.
"Honestly, I’m really proud to be his daughter," Limansa said, according to The Hindu. "I started playing cricket not because of him, but because I was inspired by him. I’m lucky to have him as my father and I’m proud to carry that name."
A start in Australia
Limansa lives in Victoria, Australia, and her first steps in cricket did not come under her father’s constant supervision. She recalled that Dilshan was travelling when she first began playing. At that stage, the game was something she enjoyed rather than a serious career path.
Her mother had an important role in those early days. Limansa said her mother encouraged her and sent videos of her playing to Dilshan. Those clips made him feel there was potential to work with.
That early encouragement eventually led to a more structured path. Limansa was selected for Victoria’s under-19 women’s programme. She said things were going well there, but the family chose to pursue the chance to represent Sri Lanka. Looking back, she said she is happy with that decision.
Choosing her own skill set
Dilshan was known as an attacking top-order batter for Sri Lanka. Limansa, however, is building her game in a different role. She is developing as a leg-spinner, with the wrong’un as an important variation.
She said the delivery came naturally when she first started. "When I started, I could bowl a wrong’un naturally, just off the back of my hand," she said. Her father noticed the skill and felt she could grow as a leg-spinner. He then helped her keep the wrong’un as part of her bowling.
That detail says something about the balance in her cricket story. Dilshan’s experience has helped her, but Limansa is not simply following the same cricketing template. Her father’s name is part of her identity, while her own role on the field is taking shape through her bowling.
A name and a path
The second Women’s Youth T20 against India ended in a narrow defeat for Sri Lanka, but Limansa’s comments after the match gave a clearer view of her background. She spoke without trying to distance herself from her father’s legacy, and without presenting her cricket as something handed to her.
For now, the facts are simple. She is 17, based in Victoria, has come through an under-19 pathway there, and has chosen to represent Sri Lanka. She carries a famous cricket surname, but her focus is on making her own contribution in Sri Lankan colours.
Source: The Hindu Cricket.