Marked for death, but emerge as National heroes

Recollects Dhammika, the eldest of the six children of Reggie and Nandini Ranatunga and now the Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. “We went and stayed with our maternal uncle for two weeks before shifting to one paternal grandfather’s house. But what I can never forgot is the fact that my mother never made us feel that we had lost everything we had our house, cars and other valuables. Millions were reduced to ashes in no time. Yet, the day after the incident, she took me and Arjuna to a tailor to get us a white trouser and shirt to help us play an inter-school under-16 semi-final, the following day.

Adds Arjuna: “In fact, those were the only white pants and shirts we had. We used to play, wash it at night and wear it again the next day. We had to go on like this for three months.”

The Ranatunga brothers are emphatic that it was their mother who was their biggest source of encouragement. Says Dhammika, “My father was keen that we should do well in academics, maybe become doctors or engineers. But my mom believed that if the kids had the talent for cricket, they should be encouraged.”

Though Reggie Ranatunga wanted his children to focus on their studies, he was not anti-sports. He represented Sri Lanka in volleyball and even toured India with the National team. He also played cricket in schools as a left-arm spinner and batsman.

All the Ranatunga children — Dhammika, Arjuna, Nishanta, Prasanna, Sanjeeva and Ruwan — went to the same (Ananda) school where they showed the first signs of growing into a major cricketing force in the country.

Dhammika reminisces an inter-schools match in which he was batting on 75 when Arjuna walked in: “By the time I got my hundred, Arjuna was on 75,” he says with a laugh.

“It was tough for mom to take sides when we played. But she was always there to encourage us — something which she does till today. What more can a child ask than to see his parents giving him moral support by his or her presence,” opines a grateful Arjuna.

That Arjuna is a role model son is apparent when he says, “I have been married for nine years, but even today I don’t take any important decision without consulting my parents or my wife’s parents.” His father-in-law also happens to he his mother’s brother.

The Ranatunga kids were all very mischievous. “My mother was a school teacher and she was very strict with us. Hardly a day passed when we did not get a caning. I sometimes wonder now how my parents brought up six boys when I find it taxing bringing up one boy,” says Arjuna.

With six boys taking their turns to bat and to break the glass panes in the house, Reggie Ranatunga soon gave up the idea of replacing the broken panes. “My father realised the futility of the situation and soon it was newspapers substituting for glasses all over the house,” recalls Dhammika.

The brothers also fought a lot among themselves, like most kids. “Sure, we fought a lot among ourselves, but if any outsider harmed any one of us, we brothers ganged up in a common cause. Ours is a close-knit family and even now if I am in trouble with my cricket, my brothers rally around me to come and give me adequate practice,” says Arjuna.

The Ranatungas are the only family to have produced four brothers who have figured in One-Day Internationals Arjuna, Dhammika, Sanjeeva and Nishanta. A fifth brother, Prasanna, represented Sri Lanka in the under-19s and was also selected to play in the Board President’s XI against one of the touring teams.

Prasanna today has followed his father into politics. While Reggie Ranatunga is a Deputy Minister for Ports, Shipping and Rehabilitation in the Bandaranaiyke Government, Prasanna is the acting Chief Minister and Minister of Transport, Highway, Housing, Electricity, Town Planning, Sports and Youth Affairs in Western Province. The youngest of the brothers Ruwan, is looking after the varied family business.

Says Arjuna: “We brothers have played for the same side and also been opponents. We may come from home in the same car to the ground, but once we step on to the field, we play it tough. We go all out to win without any brotherly feelings.”

Arjuna recollects an inter-district match in which he got a 90, Dhammika a century, Nishanta a few wickets and a 60 plus and Sanjeeva two 80s. “Every day the newspapers had one of us hogging the headlines,” he adds.

Dhammika echoes the family’s gratefulness to Arjuna when he says: “`He (Arjuna) got into the National side when he was 18 and on every return home from abroad bought enough cricketing equipment for the family. But for Arjuna’s support, I don’t think we could have continued playing for long.

Cricket is an expensive game, especially for people who have lost everything in life.

Today, Arjuna is in a position of command. He gets the players he wants. Yet, he cannot do much for his kid brother Sanjeeva. “I thing he is the most talented among us brothers. I think he is as talented as Sanath (Jayasuriya) and Maravan (Atapattu). His records speaks for itself two centuries and two fifties in seven Tests, including successive hundreds against Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, I cannot speak for him like I have to for a few in this team because of our relationship. I think, having a brother as the National skipper is his disqualification.”

Sanjeewa has strengthened the family’s cricketing bonds by marrying Lanka openin batsman Maravan Atapattu’s sister last month.

Dhammika’s son Senal and Arjuna’s son Dhyan, both eight-year-old right-handed batsmen, are now being put under the same coach who honed the cricketing skills of the Ranatunga brothers. Coach Lionel Mandis feels “that they are talented” says Dhammika.

Like the Graces (England), Mohammeds (Pakistan), Chappells (Australia), Pollocks (South Africa), Hadlees (New Zealand) and Amarnaths (India), the Ranatungas are a revered family in their country.