Indrajith Bandaranayake was a superb winger-by Hafiz Marikar

Indrajith Bandaranayake

One of the finest wingers produced by Kandy was Dharmaraja College’s Indrajith Bandaranayake who is now domiciled in Australia, Indrajith played just one season of rugby at school where he was coached by old boy of Vidyartha College M. Zarook – who helped him to cut his teeth in rugby at a tender age. In school it was at cricket, Football and athletics that he excelled. At cricket he was an aggressive batsman and a good medium pacer. He captained his school in all age groups and skippered the senior side in his final year. Indrajith like his father the late Lucky Bandaranayke gave his best for sports; He too was a good cricketer and a footballer.

But it was at rugby that Indrajith made his mark in the field of sports. After leaving school he turned out for Kandy Sports Club for the first time in 1990. Indrajith Bandaranayake looked very promising and talented with his slicing runs was loyal to his home town club – Kandy Sports Club. In 1992 when they won the Clifford Cup for the first time under Ananda Kasthuriarachchi and Mauirce Joachim, he was a live wire of the team as a good try scorer. In 1994 Indrajith Bandaranayake led the side to the League title, which was the first league title win for Kandy Sports Club in history. He was the youngest ever to captain Kandy Sports Club at the age of 24 but at that time he had claims to become one of the most senior members having joined the club in 1990.

In all he played for Kandy Sports Club from 1990 to 2005. He also led the National Sevens team in 1998. He did not turn out for the club for two years from 1996 as he was in Australia with the family. But he rejoined the club in 1998 and helped them to go from strength to strength. One of the finest moments in his chequered career was when he led Kandy Sports Club to win the league for the first time in 1994. He also played for Up-Country and Outstation Schools.

The Nittawela club honoured him by naming one of the terraces at Nittawela as the ‘Indrajith Bandaranayake terrace‘ and was declared open by none other than Mahinda Rajapaksa who was the Prime Minister at that time too.