Sri Lanka T20I squad for India tour announced; Wanindu to miss the series Source:Dailynews Sri Lanka Cricket’s Selection Committee has selected the following T20I squad to take part in the upcoming 03 match T20I series with India. The Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa approved the below-given squad 1st game of the three match series will take place on February 24 at Lucknow.   T20I Squad Dasun Shanaka – Captain Pathum Nissanka Kusal Mendis Charith Asalanka – Vice-Captain Dinesh Chandimal Danushka Gunathilaka Kamil Mishara Janith Liyanage Wanindu Hasaranga Chamika Karunaratne Dushmantha Chameera Lahiru Kumara Binura Fernando Shiran Fernando Maheesh Theekshana Jeffrey Vandersay Praveen Jayawickrama Ashian Daniel – Subjected to Ministerial approval In the meantime, the below-mentioned players who were in the T20I squad which toured Australia will return to Sri Lanka due to injuries. Avishka Fernando Nuwan Thushara Ramesh Mendis All-rounder and spin sensation Wanidu Hasaranga will miss the upcoming ...

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Lankan T20 team takes wing for Australia – by Dhammika Ratnaweera   Source:dailynews.lk Sri Lanka T20 cricket team led by Dasun Shanaka left for Australia yesterday early morning to take part in the 5-match T20 series which is scheduled to commence from February 11. However, the Sri Lanka team is facing its biggest challenge with a few players who have tested positive for COVID-19 before this tour. Earlier, interim coach Rumesh Ratnayake, fast bowler Nuwan Thushara, and trainer Dilshan Fonseka had tested positive while all rounder Chamika Karunaratne had been detected with the virus during a test that was conducted before his departure. Professor Arjuna de Silva, head of Sri Lanka Cricket’s medical unit said, “Chamika has to wait for his second report to confirm and so far we can’t confirm his illness and measures have been taken to isolate the cricketer at this stage.” Prof. Arjuna further said, “fast ...

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Dickwella, Gunathilake and Mendis given a pardon, permitted to play in domestic cricket- Lanka Premier League to commence on 5th December  By sunil Thenabadu (sports editor-eLanka) Banned Sri Lanka cricketers  for misconduct for breaking the Bio-Bubble while touring England with SL team Niroshan Dickwella, Dhanushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis in June this year have got a reprieve  before their one year ban period expired have been granted permission to play in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) that will have top players both overseas and local in action when it begins on December 5 in Sri Lanka.  The three players were banned from both international and domestic cricket and fined Rs.10 million each at a time they were also involved in a pay dispute with Sri Lanka Cricket.  The squads:  Jaffna Kings: Faf du Plessis, Thisara Perera, Wahab Riaz, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shoaib Malik, Usman Shinwari, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Avishka Fernando, Upul Tharanga, Chaturanga de Silva, ...

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An inspirational campaign with piles of positives by our young T 20 team – By Sunil Thenabadu (Sports editor – eLanka) The national cricket team journeyed back home on Friday night having been away for approximately a calendar month and their showing during the seventh edition of the ICC T-20 World Cup held successfully in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai organised to precision which even the pessimistic fans commended and endorsed the performance by beating the formidable West Indians the reigning champions in the sixth edition with so many famous names. Sri Lanka former champions in year 2014 and twice runners up of course had little impetus behind them when they left the island having been whitewashed by touring South Africa 3-0 at our own backyard. home. It is pertinent to quote that more than half the members in the tour party had played less than a handful of T-20 Internationals and there ...

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Four top Sri Lankan players for Jaffna Kings-by Dhammika Ratnaweera (From left) Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Avishka Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana Source:Dailynews Four local cricketers, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Avishka Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana will team up with Jaffna Kings as retained players for the upcoming 2021 Lanka Premier League (LPL). The four players were a part of the Jaffna team that won the championship in the 2020 LPL. Thisara Perera, who retired from the International cricket recently is already announced the Captain of Jaffna Kings. He is an experienced T20 and ODI player and has hat-tricks in both forms. Thisara has set a number of T20 records which made him a role model for aspiring cricketers.Perera presently involved at the Major clubs limited over cricket tournament playing for the Army SC team . ...

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Buttler’s Swashbuckling unbeaten ton makes it four out of four for England after early hiccups – by Sunil Thenabadu (Sports editor – eLanka) Spot in semi-finals all but stiffened up; even a near miracle could not make a semi-final berth for Sri Lanka:  Chief Scores  England 163 for 4 (Buttler 101*, Morgan 40, Hasaranga 3-21) beat Sri Lanka 137 (Hasaranga 34,,Rajapaksa 26,Shanaka 26,Asalanka 21- Moeen 2-15, Rashid 2-19) by 26 runs with an over remaining. On an uncompromising Sharjah surface -slow ,low ,uneven bounce Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka had no hesitation in inviting England to bat.In the second over itself Hasaranga was introduced, when an off-spin ball knocked off Jason Roy off stump who was stunned for 9 runs. Shanaka intelligently shuffled his bowlers. Malan the number one ranked T 20 batsmen was beaten neck and crop by Chameera for six runs while in the very next over Hasaranga accounted for Bairstow for a golden ...

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SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS (OCTOBER 2021) Compiled by Victor Melder Minod Bhanuka, Ramesh Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Lakshan Sandakan and Ashen Bandara have been added to Sri Lanka’s original squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup – announced mid-September. Lahiru Madhushanka, who was named in the original squad will not travel with the team as he is recovering from an injury. Reserve-keeper Minod Bhanuka and the two batsmen – Ramesh Mendis and Pathum Nissanka – were part of Sri Lanka’s recent home series defeat to South Africa in August. They came away with underwhelming performances and were omitted from the initial squad. Ashen Bandara last played a month before at home in the series win against India, while Lakshan Sandakan’s previous outing for the national side came in July in England. Neither made a big enough mark to be considered initially, but Sri Lanka have now added to their squad, which ...

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Sri Lanka’s fortunes are on the rise despite limited success – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE Photo source: CricketAddictor ( https://cricketaddictor.com/icc-t20-wc-2021/icc-t20-world-cup-2021-sri-lanka-announces-15-member-squad-for-the-tournament/ ) Sri Lanka’s attempt to resurrect its dying image as a force in international cricket hit a vital stumbling block when they squandered a chance to topple South Africa in the T20 World Cup in Sharjah. But all is not lost as a mostly inexperienced outfit showed grit in a last over disaster to warn the rest of the world that they are well on the way back to being respected and feared as they were during the reign of Arjuna Ranatunge, Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda De Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillekeratne Dilshan and a few others who had them riding the crest of a wave during their time with the Island nation. Sliding down to the embarrassing depths of having to qualify for the Super 12’s, the Lankans romped ...

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Theekshana,Hasaranga,spin and pace of Lahiru give Sri Lanka a seven-wicket comprehensive win – By Sunil Thenabadu Maheesh Theekshana struck with his first ball of the tournament    Photo courtesy: CRICINFO Brief scores….  Sri Lanka 100 for 3 (Rajapaksa 42*, Fernando 30*) beat Namibia 96 (Craig Williams 29, Theekshana 3-25, Kumara 2-9) by seven wickets   Sri Lanka commenced the first phase of the ICC T 20 , 2021 tournament with a comprehensive seven  wickets win with a healthy run rate having notched up 100 for loss of only three wickets in 13.3 overs in reply to Associate Member Namibia’s paltry total of 96 runs made in 19.3 overs.Of course it has to be said that side Namibia are not just push overs as they have had a wonderful past record in T 20’s ,the side includes some talented experienced lot  Dasun Shanaka having won the flip had no hesitation in inviting Namibia to bat.The opening pair ...

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Sri Lanka cruise to convincing win against PNG Pathum Nissanka and Dushmantha Chameera Source:Dailynews Sri Lanka recorded a convincing 38-run win over Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 warm-up encounter played at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a competitive score of 162 for five from their 20 overs. The islanders tested out a new opening combination of Dhananjaya de Silva and Pathum Nissanka. ...

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