Former Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer Akshu Fernando passed away on Tuesday. He was in a coma for the past seven years. In December 2018, his condition became critical after being hit by a train on an unsafe railway track in Colombo. He sustained several serious injuries in the accident and was on life support most of the time since then. The news of his death has sent shockwaves through the Sri Lankan cricket world.
The tragic accident of 2018 became the turning point of the career
Akshu Fernando was immediately admitted to the hospital after this terrible accident on 28 December 2018. The injuries were so severe that he went into a coma and never regained consciousness. After long treatment and struggle, he finally said goodbye to the world after seven years.
The unfulfilled dream of a rising star
Akshu Fernando was considered one of Sri Lanka’s most talented young batsmen. He was part of the Sri Lankan squad for the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, which was played in New Zealand. Just a few weeks before the accident, he had scored his first first-class century for the Ragama Cricket Club, further strengthening his hopes for a bright future.
Statistics in domestic cricket
In a domestic career spanning nearly 9 years, Akshu Fernando represented several clubs, including Colts Cricket Club, Panadura Sports Club and Chilaw Marines Sports Club.
First-class cricket: 39 matches, 1067 runs, 1 century and 5 fifties
List-A cricket: 25 matches, 298 runs
T20 cricket: 20 matches, 200 runs
A memorable innings in the U-19 World Cup
Akshu Fernando also showed glimpses of his talent in the U-19 World Cup. In the semi-final against Australia, he played a brilliant innings of 52 runs. Although Sri Lanka could not make it to the final, Fernando’s innings was highly appreciated.
The cricket world paid emotional tributes
Ragama Cricket Club Senior Administrator Roshan Abeysinghe expressed deep grief over his demise. He said, ‘He was a wonderful person and a very talented player. A brutal accident took away his career. This is a very sad day for all of us.’ He further said, ‘Akshu was always smiling, friendly and a true gentleman. We will always remember them. Sleep in peace, dear prince.’