Sports

Pathum Nissanka; the ace up Sri Lanka’s sleeve

Published

1 year ago

2024/11/10

Thilina Walpola

Pathum Nissanka

Rex Clementine at Dambulla

This year has been nothing short of a joyride for Sri Lanka’s top-order dynamo, Pathum Nissanka. He’s been the man with the Midas touch, transforming matches into memorable wins and notching up milestones as if they were entries on a to-do list. In all formats, Pathum’s consistency has become the backbone of Sri Lanka’s resurgence. Sure, Kamindu Mendis has stolen some of the spotlight, equalling Sir Don Bradman himself—no small feat. But Pathum has quietly carved his own legend, both at home and abroad.

At a recent media briefing, white-ball captain Charith Asalanka confessed that he loves nothing more than watching Pathum bat from the non-striker’s end. “It’s the best seat in the house!” he chuckled, while the rest of us mere mortals have had to settle for the thrill of his strokes from afar. Charith gets the live show, but for everyone else, Pathum’s artistry at the crease has been a masterpiece to behold. Simply put, he’s been phenomenal.

Last year’s World Cup might’ve been a bleak chapter for Sri Lanka, but Pathum was the silver lining, stringing together four half-centuries in a row. This year, he had a rocky start, missing the ODIs against Zimbabwe due to illness. But as soon as he returned, he made his presence felt with a bang against Afghanistan at Pallekele, rewriting the record books. Pathum broke Sanath Jayasuriya’s long-standing record for the highest score by a Sri Lankan in an ODI—a record that had stood tall for nearly 25 years. Not content with merely breaking records, he went ahead and became the first Sri Lankan to hit a double hundred in the 50-over format.

What makes Pathum’s double ton all the more remarkable is his approach. Unlike power hitters like Rohit Sharma, Fakhar Zaman, Chris Gayle, and Virender Sehwag—guys who aim to smash the leather off the ball—Pathum is more a poet than a pugilist. He relies on timing over brute force, threading the ball through fielders like a seamstress working her needle through silk. His innings was a masterclass in finesse, a beautiful blend of elegance and precision.

And Pathum hasn’t confined his magic to ODIs alone. In T20s, he’s been rock solid, but his crowning achievement this year came in the most traditional format—Test cricket. His knock in London marked Sri Lanka’s first Test victory in England in a decade, and Pathum was front and center.

Test cricket is where Pathum first announced his arrival, scoring a century on debut in the Caribbean. But a pesky back injury held him back, limiting his chances. He returned to the Test side this year at Lord’s after a two-year hiatus. By the time they went to the other side of River Thames and reached The Oval, he was unstoppable. He backed up his first-innings fifty with a century in the second, showcasing a performance that felt as timeless as the venue itself.

That century was pure class, a symphony of strokes that left everyone spellbound. In conditions that played right into England’s hands, with a seaming track tailored for their fearsome pace attack, Pathum started cautiously, playing straight and true in the first hour. Then, as if flipping a switch, the drives began flowing. With victory in sight, he even hooked a few short balls, asserting himself and sealing a memorable, come-from-behind triumph for Sri Lanka.

It’s no wonder English counties have already come knocking, eager to bring him on board for a season of County Cricket. And if he keeps going at this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the IPL scouts start scribbling his name onto their lists too.

In recent years, we’ve seen many promising young talents blaze onto the scene only to fizzle out as quickly as they arrived. But Pathum is a different breed. He stays grounded, always flashing that humble smile and quietly determined to be the best he can be. You can’t help but root for him to go places, and with the path he’s on, he certainly will.

Currently, Pathum is leading the pack as the highest run-scorer in ODIs this year. He’s also the highest-ranked Sri Lankan batsman in ODIs, sitting pretty at number seven, and eighth in T20Is. That’s a pretty exclusive club he’s in, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, Travis Head, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jos Buttler. This has truly been Pathum’s year, and something tells us this is just the beginning of his grand adventure.

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Sports

Hasaranga backs Sri Lanka for World Cup semi-final push

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka’s leg-spin spearhead Wanindu Hasaranga has warned rivals not to write off the hosts ahead of the World Cup, after his four-wicket burst in the final T20I against Pakistan helped Sri Lanka square the three-match series on Sunday.

Hasaranga’s spell turned the game on its head and restored belief in a side that has blown hot and cold. Speaking after being named Player of the Match and Player of the Series, the leg-spinner said Sri Lanka, buoyed by home conditions, remain very much in the hunt for a semi-final berth.

Under head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka have made steady strides over the past 18 months. There have been a few distractions recently like changes in selectors and captaincy among them, but the dressing room, Hasaranga insisted, is quietly confident.

“We know the conditions and we’ve grown up playing in these conditions,” Hasaranga said. “If we use them well, we can have a major impact. Players need to identify their roles. Once that happens, we can put on a good show.”

Sunday’s decider was reduced to 12 overs a side after rain delayed the start by more than two hours, but Hasaranga felt the shortened contest still offered valuable lessons.

“Today we looked good,” he said. “We’ve been lacking a bit of consistency in recent years. In a World Cup, you have to minimise mistakes and keep moving forward.”

Bowling with a wet ball tested the spinners’ skills and patience, but Hasaranga viewed it as useful match practice rather than an inconvenience.

“It was challenging with a wet ball,” he explained. “But it’s good these things happen before a World Cup. It prepares you for all kinds of situations. I even spoke to our batters about what deliveries they’d prefer to face, and that input helped when we went out to defend.”

Sri Lanka now enjoy a week’s breather before hosting England with Hasaranga keen to see his side peak at the right time.

“When this series started, we had six games leading into the World Cup,” he said. “Rain in Dambulla meant things didn’t always go to plan. As a team, we wanted winning momentum. There are only a couple of games left now and we need to be firing on all cylinders when the World Cup begins.”

Sri Lanka had stumbled in the opener, losing by six wickets after being bowled out inside 20 overs, while the second match was washed out without a toss. A 14-run win in the final game, however, ensured honours ended even.

Rex Clementine
in Dambulla

Sports

Sunil Gunawardana among contenders for top post of Sri Lanka Athletics

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

It will be a four-way battle for the top post of Sri Lanka Athletics as fresh nominations for the election of office bearers closed at the Sports Ministry on Monday. Former president Sunil Gunawardana, Bimal Wijesinhge, Sugath Kumara and Prasanna Indika are the nominees for the post of president and they are subjected to objections.

‎This is the second time the Ministry of Sports called for nominations after different stakeholders successfully challanged the earlier niminations alleging that there were errors in the process.

‎Informed sources said that this time too the Ministry of Sports has left enough room for allegations as it announced the names of the nominees without waiting for the nominations sent by post.

‎”There was a fundamental error as they did not wait for nominations sent by post. They informed the stake holders by post. Some member federations had received the letters only on last Thursday. They were in a mighty hurry to announce the names of the nominees soon after the nominations closed,” a source close to athletics told The Island.

‎Following are the nominees for various posts of Sri Lanka Athletics.

‎‎President: Sunil Gunawardana, Bimal Wijesinhge, Prasanna Indika, Sugath Kumara

‎‎Vice President: Prasanna Indika, Lal Chandrakumara, Lt. Col. G.N. Jayathilaka, Irangani Rupasinghe, Jagath Silva, G.J. Siyamudali, Prasanna Aluvihare

‎‎Secretary: Dr. Dhammika Senanayake, Sameera Perera, Madawa Herath

‎Asst. Secretary: Sameera Perera, Aloy Wickramasinghe (RF)

Sports

Lakmal, Pravina win trophies at Eagles Monsoon Cup Golf Tournament

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wing Commander Lakmal Gunewardene (Retd) won the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup Trophy. (L) / Pravina Dunuwille emerged as the Ladies' Trophy winner. (R)

Wing Commander Lakmal Gunewardene (Retd) secured the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup Trophy, achieving the highest score in the gents’ category and Pravina Dunuwille emerged as the Ladies’ Trophy winner at the fourth edition of the Eagles Monsoon Cup Golf Tournament which came to a close at the picturesque China Bay, near the harbour city of Trincomalee.

‎The Sri Lanka Air Force, in collaboration with Eagles’ Golf Links and Courses, successfully conducted the fourth edition of the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup Golf Tournament on Sunday.

‎The tournament, conducted under the Stableford Scoring System, commenced in the morning with the participation of 80 enthusiastic golfers, including 13 women golfers. The tournament was officially inaugurated when one of the former Commanders of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, took the first tee-off.

‎Wing Commander Nalin Bentharaarachchi (Retd) claimed the Runner-up position in the Gents’ category, and Niloo Jayathilake was awarded the Ladies’ Runner-up position. In addition, Buddika Amarasinghe and Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody received accolades for the Longest Drive and Nearest to the Pin, respectively, in the Gents’ category, while Sandra Cadien secured the Longest Drive in the Ladies’ category. The Wooden Spoon was awarded to Nimal Jayasinghe.

‎The Eagles’ Monsoon Defence Challenge Trophy, presented to members of the Tri-Services in the Men’s category, was won by Wing Commander Asantha Gunaratne from the SLAF. Lieutenant Commander Mevan Perera from the SL Navy was the Runner-up of the Defence Challenge Trophy. Commodore Mangala Mummullage received the award for the Longest Drive in the Defence Challenge category.

‎The Best Total Net Score in the Six Hidden Holes competition segment was achieved by Wing Commander Lakmal Gunewardene (Retd) and Group Captain Prabath Wijekoon received the Commander’s Island Green Award for the 2025 year’s Eagles’ Monsoon Cup iteration.

‎The awards of the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup were presented at a gala Awards Ceremony held at Eagles’ Golf Links during the evening of the same day. The Director General Air Operations, Air Vice Marshal Dhammika Dias, graced the Awards Ceremony as the Chief Guest. Further, Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkodi, Chairman of SLAF Golf, Air Commodore Erandika Gunewardene, Secretary of Air Force Golf Links and Courses, Group Captain Asanka Rathnayake, Secretary of Air Force Golf, Wing Commander Thushan Fernando, Sales Manager of Aviyana Ceylon Resorts, Suranga Fernando (representing the Chairman of Aviyana Ceylon Resorts) and other golf enthusiasts attended the ceremony.

‎Adding to the prestige of the occasion, Aviyana Ceylon Resorts sponsored the tournament, enhancing its grandeur and providing a memorable experience for all participants.‎