Former Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer Akshu Fernando passed away on Tuesday, December 30, after spending seven years in a coma. He had been unconscious since 2018 following a tragic accident.
The incident took place on December 28, 2018, when Akshu was returning home after a practice session at Mount Lavinia beach in South Colombo. While crossing a railway track on his way, he was struck by a train and suffered severe injuries. He was rushed to hospital, where his condition worsened over time, eventually leaving him in a coma. Akshu remained in that state for the next seven years, until his death.
ALSO READ | Who is Damien Martyn? Australia World Cup winner battling meningitis
Who was Akshu Fernando?
Akshu Fernando was one of the finest players in Sri Lankan domestic cricket. He was a promising player. In 2018, he was in one of his best forms. That's when he met with the accident. He was 27 years old when the accident occurred. A few weeks before the accident, Fernando scored his first century in first-class cricket playing for Ragama Cricket Club. Besides batting, he also bowled off-spin. He has seven half-centuries at the senior level. Fernando scored 1067 runs in 39 first-class matches. In List A cricket, he scored 298 runs in 25 matches. He also played 19 T20s.
He played for the Under-19 team in the 2010 World Cup for the national team. Although his team lost to Australia in the semi-final and was knocked out, he scored 52 runs in that match. Danush Gunatilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who currently play for Sri Lanka's senior team, were his teammates.
Fernando, who came up from St. Peter's College in Colombo, achieved multiple successes in school cricket as well. He participated at age-group levels of Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17.
