Sports
Sri Lanka, India and South Africa kick off World Cup preparations with ODI tri-series
The Women’s ODI World Cup is five months away and, after the drama of the qualifier in which Pakistan and Bangladesh confirmed their places at the tournament, preparation begins in Sri Lanka with a tri seried. Sri Lanka host India and South Africa for a seven-match tournament, which will include the pressure of reaching a final. All three sides have uncapped players in their squads so there are bound to be some new faces alongside old rivalries.
Here’s what you can look forward to over the next two weeks:
India’s quest for silverware begins
As hosts of this year’s World Cup, and after their failure to make the semi-finals of the last T20 tournament, all eyes will be on India to see if they can grab their first major trophy and continue to set the pace for the development of the game. Their players come into the series on the back of recent game time in the WPL and a six-match winning streak in ODIs, albeit against non-World Cup participants Ireland and West Indies. Regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur missed the Ireland matches but is back to lead the side in a sign that the leadership will remain unchanged heading into the World Cup.
Their most exciting prospect is 22-year old Kashvee Gautam, who was the most expensive uncapped player of the WPL and has Harmanpreet’s name on her wickets’ list. She was the joint-leading bowler among Indian players at the WPL with 11 to her tally (along with Shikha Pandey, who has not played an international in two years) and had best economy rate among Indian bowlers (and second best overall) and her international call-up is as deserved as it is expectant.
There was no such reward for the leading Indian run-scorer at the WPL. Shafali Verma scored two runs more than Harmanpreet and was fourth-highest overall but cannot find a spot in a squad that includes Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh. While India’s batting looks strong and familiar, their bowling reserves could be tested as all of Renuka Singh, Titas Sadhu and Pooja Vastrakar are injured which will leave it to Arundhati Reddy to lead the pace attack. Left-arm spinners N Shree Charani and Shuchi Upadhyay are the two others who could have their first international outing. Upadhyay was the third-highest wicket-taker in the domestic women’s one-day trophy last year.
Sri Lanka’s sweeping changes
Sri Lanka are back at the ODI World Cup after missing out on the 2022 edition and secured automatic qualification when they finished fifth in the Women’s Championship, ahead of New Zealand, but there’s work to be done to have a good tournament showing. Sri Lanka have lost their last two series – to Ireland and New Zealand – and will want to find form ahead of the World Cup, especially as they are not scheduled to play any other matches between now and the start of the tournament.
They’ve rung in the changes for this series, with six from the last squad, and included four uncapped players as well. Thirty-nine-year-old left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera is back in a squad that will be headlined by a strong spin contingent, including Malki Madara, who may get her first game. There are three other spinners in Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani and Kavisha Dilhari, which has left space for only two seamers. Achini Kulasuriya is one of them and 18-year-old allrounder Rasmika Sewwandi, who was part of the Under-19 squad, is the other.
Sri Lanka’s batting is well-settled and the challenge will be for them to continue finding contributions from sources other than Chamari Athapaththu, who will doubtless be key to their World Cup campaign, but has stressed the need for the load to be shared. Slowly, that’s started to happen. Harshita Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne both scored hundreds in the last year and became the only Sri Lankan batters other than Athapaththu to do so. Sri Lanka will want to see more names on that list soon.
South Africa without Kapp
Before South Africa can start thinking about whether this World Cup could be the one where they take one more step than usual to get to the trophy, they have to find their feet under a new(ish) coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who has enjoyed title-winning success with the Titans provincial team but had no prior experience in women’s cricket, was appointed late last year and oversaw part of the home series against England (which went badly as South Africa won only one match out of seven across formats), but this will be his first proper test.
He will take it without senior allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who is being rested as she manages her workload, or batter Anneke Bosch, who is injured, but has the core of the squad that reached the T20 World Cup final at his disposal. That includes legspinner Seshnie Naidu, who did not get a game in the UAE but may play a big role alongside Nonkululekho Mlaba in future visits to the subcontinent.
Wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso, who was key to South Africa’s run to the Under-19 World Cup final, is the talk of the town on the domestic circuit and could bring depth to a batting line-up that will have an in-form Sune Luus (third on the domestic run-scorers charts) and the experience of Laura Wolvaardt, Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon to lean on. South Africa have also gone light on seamers with Masabata Klaas and allrounders Annerie Dercksen and de Klerk to share duties as they aim to give their spinners a solid run. South Africa will also travel to West Indies and Pakistan before the World Cup.
Sri Lanka will begin their three match T20I series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Friday with an opportunity for several youngsters to stake their claims, although the absence of Pathum Nissanka leaves a sizeable hole at the top of the order.
Nissanka, Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked batter in the ICC T20I rankings, has been one of the side’s most consistent performers in recent years and his absence deprives the tourists of a proven match-winner against a Pakistan attack that will still carry plenty of firepower despite resting several senior players.
The three T20Is will be played in Rawalpindi on October 9, 11 and 13 before attention switches to the seven match ODI tri-series involving hosts Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England.
While Sri Lanka will miss Nissanka, his absence opens the door for highly rated Sineth Jayawardene, who has been earmarked as one for the future. The former Sri Lanka Under-19 captain now has an opportunity to show that he can make the considerable jump from domestic and age group cricket to the international stage. Sineth skippered Royal College, Colombo with distinction.
There will also be considerable interest in leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, another player Sri Lanka have invested in with an eye on the future. With Wanindu Hasaranga out of the equation, Viyaskanth has an opportunity to make a strong case for a regular berth rather than remain on the fringes.
Sri Lanka will be encouraged by the fact that Pakistan too have opted to look beyond some of their established names for the T20I leg of the tour.
Sahibzada Farhan will captain Pakistan after leading them at the recently concluded Asian Games in Japan, taking over from Salman Ali Agha, who has been left out of the T20I squad. Salman remains part of Pakistan’s ODI plans.
Pakistan have also rested Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the T20Is, although both return for the ODI tri-series, where Shaheen will continue as captain.
The hosts have named uncapped all-rounders Razaullah and Mohammad Imran Randhawa in their 15-member T20I squad, while Maaz Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz have been rewarded for impressive performances at the Asian Games.
Hasan finished the tournament as Pakistan’s leading run scorer with 123 runs, including a blistering 96 off 51 balls against India in the final, although Pakistan had to settle for silver.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah returns to Pakistan’s T20I squad having last played the format against Sri Lanka in February, while Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed provide experience.
For Sri Lanka, while Nissanka’s runs will be sorely missed his absence means someone else has the chance to put his hand up. Sri Lanka will hope one or two of their young guns grab that opportunity with both hands.
The ODI tri-series will follow the T20Is, with the first three matches being played in Rawalpindi before the tournament moves to Lahore for the remaining league games and the final.
Pakistan have retained a more experienced core for the 50-over competition, with Babar, Salman, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf among those included.
Former Pakistan Under-19 captain Saad Baig has earned his maiden ODI call-up after scoring more than 1,000 runs in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, while left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Moqim is another notable inclusion.
Pakistan have also strengthened their backroom staff, bringing back former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait as bowling consultant. Tait previously served as Pakistan’s bowling coach in 2022-23 and replaces Ashley Noffke, who left after the Asian Games to take over as Netherlands head coach.
ATF Under-16 Colombo Week 1 Tennis
Sri Lanka’s junior players delivered a series of impressive performances on Wednesday, with the girls claiming all four semi-final places at the ATF Under-16 Colombo 2026 Week 1 tournament, held at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts.
Damsath Peiris
Methuli Naotunne led the charge with a notable quarter-final win over India’s Yashmitha Santhosh, recovering from a set loss to prevail 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Kiara Jayamanne also came from behind to beat India’s Ahnavi Shaw 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Risindi
Hewawasam
In an all-Sri Lankan quarter-final, Risindi Hewawasam overcame Desandi Peiris 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, while Disini Samaraweera defeated Sayli Basnayake 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
The Sri Lankan boys also impressed. Damsath Peiris beat Buvindu Jayawardhana 8-2, 7-6, and Yonal Dankumbura battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jayan Sebastian.
The visiting players, however, proved tough to beat. The Philippines’ Anthony Castigador defeated Sri Lanka’s Dehan Wickramasinghe 6-2, 6-4, and India’s Gurshaan Chahal fought back to overcome Udeera Gunasinghe 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.
(RF)
Mosvold Sixes 2026 concluded on Sunday at the Colombo Malay Cricket Club with Travel Trends Leisure crowned champions after a closely fought final against last year’s winners, Connaissance De Ceylan Sri Lanka, who finished as runners-up. Transco Travels were second runners-up.
Twenty three destination management companies took part in the six-a-side softball cricket tournament, organised by Mosvold Sri Lanka.
The Mosvold Martinus Challenge Trophy 2026 was presented to the champions by Nilanka Martinus, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Mosvold Boutique Hotels. Chief Guest Farveez Maharoof, the former Sri Lanka all-rounder, presented the runners-up award to Connaissance De Ceylan Sri Lanka.
This year’s twenty three competing DMCs were Tangerine Tours, Sri Lanka Tailormade, Olanka Travels, Antiquity Sri Lanka, Travel Trends Leisure, House of Travels & Tourism, NKAR Travels & Tours, Jetwing Travels, Walkers Tours, Connaissance De Ceylan Sri Lanka, Delux Holidays, Ceylon Roots, Spiceland Holidays, Infinity Vacations, Tropiculture, Serene Travels, Authenticities, Red Apple Travel & Holidays Lanka, DTH Travel Lanka, Hayleys Travels, We stay Ceylon, Transco Travels and Ceylon Tours.
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