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3 min readFeb 12, 2026 02:07 PM IST
Crishan Kalugamage works at a pizzeria in Tuscany and is a leg-spinner for the Italian cricket team. (Photo ICC via X)
Probably the first thing that comes to a layman’s mind, from a culinary point of view, when one thinks of Italy, is a pizza. The mouthwatering preparation has got lovers around the world, with the dish often being adapted to local tastes and preferences.
So, it’s no surprise that the team representing that country and making its debut at the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup will include a practitioner of one of the most Italian of trades – a pizza maker – even if was not born there.
When Crishan Kalugamage moved with his parents from Sri Lanka to Italy as a teenager almost two decades ago, he had assumed that his passion for cricket would remain unfulfilled. But the game has its practitioners in the country and he soon became a member of the Roma Cricket Club, one of the oldest in Italy, even though his occupation and livelihood often clashed with his love for the game.
“I lost a lot of jobs. Sunday is a very busy day, lots of bosses aren’t keen on you not working because you are playing cricket,” Kalugamage told BBC Sport.
He works at a pizzeria in Lucca in the Tuscany region of Italy, and practices his cricket around his work commitments. He is a leg-spinner and has been playing for Italy since 2022. He believes there’s some similarity between his professional and sporting trades. “It’s all about the fingertips,” he says cheekily.
At least, he is learning from one of the best. Italy head coach, John Davison – also known as ‘The Spin Whisperer’ has been teaching the craft for decades now. Australian legend Nathan Lyon, who worked with him since he was a teenager, called Davison the “best spin coach in the world”.
Before his family moved to Europe, Kalugamage – who hails from Negombo – was part of his school’s U-13 and U-15 sides. During that period, his cricketing idols were Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya. As he grew as a leggie, he added Shane Warne, Wanindu Hasaranga and Rashid Khan to that list.
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“Now, my main job is in the restaurant. After the World Cup, we’ll see if I have a chance to play somewhere. Hopefully, in the future, it’s only cricket,” he told ESPNCricinfo.
Football dominates sporting conversations in Italy, and Kalugamage has turned into a passionate Inter Milan supporter, with Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez his favourite player.
He went wicketless in Italy’s opening World Cup game against Scotland, but plans to display the centre-forward’s trademark cross-armed celebration if he gets a scalp at the big stage.
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