Pizza Chef Crishan Kalugamage Built a Cricket Dream in Football-Mad Italy, Now He Targets the IPL
If stories could choose their own beginnings, this one might open in a pizzeria somewhere in Italy. A boy, his hands occupied with making pizzas, watches the evening crowd drift in as football fills the television screens in the football-mad nation. Somewhere between a pizza oven and a life surrounded by football nerds, Crishan Kalugamage built a life that few would have imagined. He arrived in Italy as a child, carrying memories of Sri Lanka, while the country around him spoke the language of football, even though the game occupying his imagination belonged to another world entirely.
For five days a week, he worked making pizzas and, on his day-off, played cricket. It was a small piece of time to protect a dream, but enough for him to keep believing. Years after nurturing that dream, the same belief took him beyond the boundaries he once saw from afar — to international cricket and a World Cup with Italy. In that journey, Roma Cricket Club, one of the oldest clubs in the country, played a key role. He has remained there ever since, with a decade-long association that has shaped his development.
“I started with athletics before taking cricket seriously when I began playing for Roma Cricket Club,” Kalugamage told RevSportz. “Then I played for Italy, and it was a dream to play in the World Cup. I achieved it after 20 years, so I was very happy.”
Cricket in Italy is not popular, and that is why, for cricketers representing the nation, playing the game is their side job.
“We have fifteen players. We come from different parts of the world,” Kalugamage revealed. “I’m a pizza chef. I work five days a week and then play a Sunday league match. It was not easy for us, but we made a lot of sacrifices in order to play in the World Cup.”
A fan of Virat Kohli, Kalugamage has learnt a lot from the Indian legend and hopes to see him play in the next ODI World Cup.
“I like Virat Kohli’s attitude. He’s a hard worker, and he’s still playing very good cricket even now. I hope he can play in the ODI World Cup,” said the 35-year-old Italy cricketer.
Last year, Italy made history by qualifying for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. In the city of dreams, Italy’s cricketers lived their dream and made history by defeating Nepal to secure their first World Cup victory at Wankhede Stadium. Kalugamage was at the centre of that win, taking a three-wicket haul. That victory has helped slowly deepen the roots of cricket in Italy.
“Italian people don’t know much about cricket. After the World Cup, we are getting recognition. We beat Nepal, we almost defeated England, and the media started recognising us. Progress is slow, but cricket is becoming more popular now.”
On his idols, Kalugamage said: “As a leg-spinner, I watched a lot of videos of Shane Warne, Wanindu Hasaranga and Rashid Khan. I met Rashid in Dubai, and he told me about the different grips for the googly because I really like bowling googlies. His tips worked for me during the World Cup, especially against Nepal.”
In his first stint in franchise cricket, Kalugamage could not have picked a better place to start his journey as a T20 globetrotter than Sri Lanka.
“I want to thank Colombo Kaps. It was a big opportunity for me; it was a dream to come back and play cricket in Sri Lanka,” he said.
When asked about his IPL ambitions, Kalugamage said he would be happy to play for any franchise but expressed his admiration for Mumbai Indians.
“I like Mumbai Indians because of players like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and, more importantly, because of the stadium.”
Kalugamage’s story is an inspiration for budding cricketers, especially those in associate nations, to never give up on their dreams. It may take time, but with passion, determination and dedication, dreams can come alive.
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