2025-03-17
After six abandoned matches, five of them without a toss, because of incessant rain – Shreyas Iyer called it a “torrential downpour” – in Nisshin, we might finally get some cricket again at the men’s Asian Games.
The timing couldn’t have been better because the four remaining games will decide the positions on the podium. Pakistan and Bangladesh still don’t have a gold in this edition (as of Wednesday morning); Sri Lanka have just one; India have seven but that’s well behind the 28 they finished with in 2023.
India are the defending champions, and it will take a gargantuan effort from the second string Sri Lanka side to throw them off their path. Even the full-strength Sri Lanka T20I side has not been able to score 150 of late, or win a match since June, and have only one win from their last ten attempts. The Sri Lanka squad that hasn’t played even a moment of cricket since landing in Japan has a captain – Sahan Arachchige – with just one T20I to his name, which came back in the 2023 Asian Games, when they lost to Afghanistan. The more recognisable names are Niroshan Dickwella and Ashen Bandara, who haven’t featured in a T20I since 2021 and 2023 respectively. There are six other players in that squad of 15 who have played fewer than ten T20Is each, and another four who are uncapped.
India, unlike most other Full Member sides, have sent their big guns to Japan.
There’s also an ODI series going on at home, and the ODI World Cup is just a year away. But they chose to send the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, among others, to Japan instead, which shows their commitment to the gold-medal cause.
Rain or shine, Sri Lanka will have to sweat it out on Thursday to try and get the better of India.
India have been plagued by injuries of late and one of the names on that list was that of Washington Sundar, who returned to action in the Japan T20I last week. He didn’t get to bat, but bowled two overs and took two wickets in his first game in two months. India would want to give him more game time before he heads back home for the West Indies T20Is that start on October 6. Washington has otherwise had an impressive year across formats with an unbeaten 52 in an ODI to give India their first win of their UK tour after he took a four-for in the Test against Afghanistan, in which he also scored 52*.
Niroshan Dickwella last played a T20I in 2021 and he is back in the scheme of things despite an underwhelming Lanka Premier League a couple of months ago, where he scored only 110 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 142.85 while averaging 18.33. He has, however, been among the runs of late, and scored a brisk 80 off 115 balls in the first Test against India. If he gets to bat on Tuesday, this could be a great chance for Dickwella to show why he was once an all-format regular for Sri Lanka.
India had rested Bumrah for the one-off T20I against Japan and played Arshdeep Singh and Yash Thakur as the quicks, and Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel and Washington as the lead spinners. India will now have to decide whom to leave out for Bumrah. The other question will be whether to give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a game, although neither Abhishek Sharma nor Sanju Samson have any reason to be dropped.
India (possible): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur/Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
Sri Lanka will be expected to hand out a few debut caps and give game time to some of the more inexperienced players.
Sri Lanka (possible): Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Lasith Croospulle, Sahan Arachchige (capt), Nuwanidu Fernando, Ashen Bandara, Chamika Karunaratne, Tharindu Ratnayake, Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando
[Cricinfo]
by Reemus Fernando
The Sri Lanka Automobile Association in Japan (SLAAJ) has awarded a brand-new Honda Vezel to gold medallist Rumesh Tharanga at a felicitation ceremony for the Sri Lankan team that competed at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
The gift was announced at the ceremony, held on the eve of the team’s departure from Nagoya.
”We decided to reward every Sri Lankan athlete who wins a gold medal with a brand-new vehicle. We invited all the Sri Lankan athletes taking part in the Games to the felicitation, and at the time of the event, only Tharanga had won gold,”
Nishantha Meegalla, Vice President of the Nagoya Prefecture of the Sri Lanka Business Council of Japan, told ‘The Island’.
Tharanga, the world’s top-ranked javelin thrower this season, won Sri Lanka’s first-ever javelin medal at the Asian Games on Monday, sealing the historic victory with a throw of 88.55 metres.
Weather
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places inthe Uva, Eastern and Central provinces and in Polonnaruwa and Mullaittivu districts after 1.00 p.m.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 30 SEPTEMBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 30 September 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
The atmospheric conditions are getting favorable for afternoon thundershowers in most parts of the island from October 1st.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places in the Uva, Eastern and Central provinces and in Polonnaruwa and Mullaittivu districts after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in the above areas.
A Few shower may occur in the coastal areas of the Western Province and Galle and Matara districts during the morning.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Rain stays away as India and Sri Lanka look for fair contest to enter final
Gold winner Tharanga gets brand-new Honda Vezel from SLAAJ
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places inthe Uva, Eastern and Central provinces and in Polonnaruwa and Mullaittivu districts after 1.00 p.m.
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