Sports
IPL stars expected to join teams in Hambantota
by Rex Clementine
Afghanistan cricket team that arrived in the island earlier this week has resumed practices in Colombo with SSC being their training base. Sri Lanka meanwhile have been training at both SSC and RPS. Both teams will travel to Hambantota next week ahead of the three match ODI series.
The first ODI will be played on the 2nd of June followed by the remaining games on June 4th and 7th. Both teams’ IPL players are expected to join the rest in Hambantota ahead of the curtain-raiser of the series.
Afghanistan had a strong representation in the IPL – as good as Sri Lanka’s – with four of them featuring in the world’s leading franchise tournament – Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Abdul Rahman, a 21-year-old uncapped medium paceman is the only newcomer in the Afghan squad. Bowling is Afghanistan’s strongest aspect in the ODI format.
Despite their struggles in recent years, Sri Lanka start the series as favourites. The hosts are yet to name their squad, but fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera and top order batsman Kusal Janith Perera are expected to be named in the side.
Dimuth Karunaratne also returns to the side having been given the cold shoulder in the 50 over format for two years now. Sri Lanka’s problems of not being able to bat out the 50 overs has been a problem and Dimuth is seen as the solution for the problem.
Lead up to the last World Cup in England, Sri Lanka were facing the same problem and Dimuth was drafted into the side to address the issue and he went onto lead the team and did a decent job as the opener.
Former captain Angelo Mathews is also back in the 50 over format. There will be a lot of excitement as fans will be hoping to see Matheesha Pathirana in action. Nicknamed ‘baby Malinga’, the 20-year-old has come up with some match winning performances for CSK. Pathirana has only featured in a T-20 for Sri Lanka – last year in UAE. He is expected to make his ODI debut.
Afghanistan toured Sri Lanka last year as well for a three-match series, a part of the ICC World Cup Super League. The series was played at Pallekele and ended in a 1-1 draw with one game being washed out by rain. Afghanistan qualified for this year’s World Cup directly by winning the first ODI.
The Rose Bowl, which has been awarded to the winner of ODI series between the women’s teams of Australia and New Zealand since 1985, has now been expanded to include T20Is as well.
New Zealand’s three match T20I tour of Australia, which begins on Sunday at the North Sydney Oval, will be the first T20I edition of the Rose Bowl. The teams will get to face off again for the trophy in March 2027 when they meet again for three ODIs, also in Australia.
For Rose Bowl series that include matches in both white-ball formats, the trophy will go to the team with the most wins overall. In case of a drawn series, the current holder will retain the trophy.
“The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,”Catherine Campbell, NZC’s chief cricket operations officer and a former New Zealand player, said. “With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr was excited by the broadening of opportunities to compete for the Rose Bowl.
“We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the White Ferns whakapapa [genealogy],” said Kerr. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”
Australia have held the Rose Bowl continuously since wresting it back from New Zealand in 2000. Since that 3-0 win, Australia have won 18 times with one series – in 2008-09 – shared 2-2. Overall, Australia have won 26 of the 31 ODI series played for the Rose Bowl, with New Zealand winning three times and three series drawn.
North Sydney will host all three T20Is of the upcoming Rose Bowl series, on October 18, 20 and 22.
[Cricinfo]
The inaugural Sastralian Premier League (SPL), a T10 cricket tournament aimed at strengthening the cricketing fortunes of Ananda Shasthralaya National School, Matugama, will get underway next month, bringing together eight teams.
Organised by the Old Sastralians Cricket Association in collaboration with the school, the tournament is designed to provide a platform for emerging talent while generating much needed financial support for the school’s cricket development programme.
Each franchise will be required to assemble a squad of 16 players, excluding the captain, with the competition featuring a unique set of regulations aimed at encouraging participation across different age groups.
Cricketers from other schools in the Matugama area will also have an opportunity to showcase their skills under the ‘Guest Players’ category. Each team can recruit up to six guest players, with four required to feature in the playing XI.
In a move designed to nurture the next generation, every team must include two current school cricketers in its squad, with at least one guaranteed a place in the playing XI.
The tournament will also accommodate experienced campaigners, with teams permitted to select five players over the age of 20 and three over 40. The provision to use an ‘Impact Player’ is another feature of the competition.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups. Group A comprises JSD Challengers, Jagath Express, Liveka Power Lions and Rexhill Warriors, while JPI Royals, Five Star Heroes, Marine Titans and Finnk Falcons make up Group B.
A total of 16 matches will be played across November 7, 8 and 15, with November 16 set aside as a reserve day.
Beyond the action on the field, organisers hope the tournament will provide a financial boost to school cricket while forging stronger ties between past and present cricketers.
Squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
Squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
[Cricbuzz]
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