Sports
Sri Lanka bank on home advantage for elusive semifinal appearance
Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the ICC Women’s World Cup but for most of the ICC Women’s ODI Championship cycle from 2022 to 2025 they weren’t. The India-Pakistan standoff has meant that the nation will be hosting a women’s World Cup for the first time, and the dream of an elusive World Cup semi-final beckons larger than ever before for Sri Lanka. Their ODI record in 2025 reads poorly having won only two of the eight ODIs they have played, with one no-result. They endured a no-result in the warm-up leading up to the tournament and fell agonisingly short against Bangladesh by one run in their second warm-up match.
Despite the lack of recent results, Sri Lanka have more or less named a settled squad for the global event. Led by veteran Chamari Athapaththu, who is playing her third World Cup – in what could be her last hurrah in the 50-over format, the team has a decent combination of power, flair and a budding crop of youngsters alongside a heavily bolstered spin attack, and a pace attack with enough variety to hold its own.
Hasini Perera and Vishmi Gunaratne have given Sri Lanka solid starts but they will need to work on dominating the PowerPlay to get the team up and running. Athapaththu’s power is complemented by Harshitha Samarawickrama’s finesse. The latter is heading into the tournament with four fifties in her last eight outings and her decent average of 48 during this time has made her the glue of the batting order. With the experienced Nilakshika de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani to follow, the batting department seems to be in good hands.
With five of their seven league games to be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka have turned to spin with low and slow tracks expected to be on offer. The spin quartet is led by the experienced Inoka Ranaweera, Sri Lanka’s second highest wicket-taker in ODIs, they also have Sugandika Dasanyake and young Dewmi Vihanga and Kaveesha Dilhari to turn their arm. Despite only having played five ODIs in her career, with six wickets to her name, Malki Madara will lead the pace attack while Udeshika Prabodhani has been recalled to the Sri Lanka ODI squad having not made an appearance this year.
Returning to the World Cup after a gap of eight years, having heartbreakingly missed out on the 2022 edition of the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand – primarily due to not having played an ODI in 2020 and 2021, Sri Lanka will fight tooth and nail for a spot in the last four which has they have always yearned for.
They might not have won many ODIs this year but they did come up trumps against South Africa and India in the tri-series in April and May at home, and even reached the final before losing out to India. Sri Lanka might not catch the eyeballs like the heavyweights of the women’s game do but they have shown that every now and then, they can shock an opposition.
Squad:Chamari Athapaththu (c), Anushka Sanjeewani (wk) (vc), Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Sugandika Dasanayaka, Nilakshika de Silva, Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Piumi Wathsala Badalge, Dewmi Vihanga, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranweera, Udeshika Prabhodani, Malki Madara, Achini Kulasuriya.
Italy’s first men’s World Cup appearance arrives with a level of attention the team has rarely experienced. Coverage back home has widened and television exposure is expected to follow as matches go out live. This T20 World Cup, there are lots of eyes on them, helped by the novelty of the occasion and the promise of their squad.
Former South Africa international JJ Smiuts brings firepower and experience. Ben Manenti comes in after a strong BBL campaign with Sydney Sixers and a frugal economy rate of under six. His brother Harry can go big. The Mosca brothers – Justin and Anthony – as openers have a strong understanding of each others’ games. Thomas Draca has the potential to be an X-factor. And 42-year-old captain Wayne Madsen has decades of experience under his belt across different cultures to hold it all together.
On the eve of the game, Madsen said that they’re done soaking in the occasion. It’s action time now, and standing in front of Italy are Scotland, a team they took down during the Europe Qualifier for the World Cup.
Scotland’s opening-day defeat to West Indies showed promise but also frustration. They threatened to gain control in phases but they missed their opportunities along the way. The positive is the turnaround for the Italy game is under 48 hours, and they have the advantage of being able to brush that defeat off. They are also familiar with Eden Gardens.
Scotland – also the higher-ranked T20I side – possibly start off as favourites since former captain Joe Burns and batter Emilio Gay are not part of this squad, but Italy won’t back down from turning a historic game into an unforgettable one.
Former South Africa international JJ Smuts is possibly Italy’s biggest batting trump card. His clean-hitting can travel far at Eden Gardens, and his years between 2017 and 2021 bring an experience that is irreplaceable in the Italy camp. At 37, he couldn’t even fathom playing another World Cup, but his qualification via marriage to play for Italy has given a late boost to his motivations, and he wants to leave a mark in India.
George Munsey, occasionally called the reverse-sweeping demon, always finds a way to score runs. His crisp shots with the new ball always makes him dangerous in the powerplay, and he is threatening against the spinners with his sweeps. Against West Indies, he dazzled with three fours in a quick-fire start of 19, and looked good for more on that pitch, but his innings was cut short courtesy a magical catch from Shimron Hetmyer. A strong start from Munsey makes Scotland an even more dangerous side.
Italy are expected to field both sets of brothers. After the Moscas up top, Smuts and Wadsen will follow. The Manentis will look to finish the innings. Crishan Kalugamage could be their attacking right-arm wristspinner.
Italy (possible): Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Wayne Madsen (capt), Harry Manenti, Ben Manenti, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Marcus Campopiano, Jaspreet Singh, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan
Could 19-year-old seamer Zainullah Ihsan get a debut for Scotland? Otherwise, Scotland are likely to field the same XI, barring any last-minute niggles.
Scotland (possible): George Munsey, Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, Richie Berrington (capt), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross (wk), Mark Watt, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Safyaan Sharif, Brad Currie
[Cricinfo]
Jumpers Madushani Herath and Pasindu Malshan and distance runner Rasara Wijesuriya took the opportunity at the Asian Indoor Championship to improve the National Indoor Records of their respective disciplines.
Nannapurawa athlete Herath was placed seventh in the triple jump final but her performance of 13.10 metres emerged as the best feat so far by a Sri Lankan woman at an Indoor event.
She cleared 13.10 metres to improve on the record held by Hashini Prabodha.
She also improved on the national indoor long jump record with a feat of 6.11 metres.
Malshan was placed fifth with a feat of 15.70 metres in the men’s triple jump. His feat erased the national indoor record held by Manjula Kumara.
Wijesuriya took 24 seconds off the record held by the US based athlete Hiruni Wijeratne (9:46.35 secs) with a feat of 9:22.97 seconds in the 3,000 metres.
Sri Lakan athletes rarely compete indoors and could not win podium places at the Asian Indoor Championship took place in Tianjin, China.
by Reemus Fernando
Sri Lanka 163 for 6 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 24, Kamil Mishara
Catches win matches. Ireland dropped seven, of varying difficulty, and that proved to be a major factor in their 20-run loss to Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Sent in, Sri Lanka started briskly but the Ireland spinners George Dockrell and Gareth Delany, handcuffed them in the middle overs. After 16 overs, they were on 104 for 4. That they could add another 59 to finish on a competitive 163 for 6 was down to Ireland’s sloppy fielding.
Kamindu Mendis was dropped on 14; he went on to smash 44 off 19 balls. Kusal Mendis was first put down on 34; he finished on 56 not out off 43. The pair added 67 off 30 balls for the fifth wicket to inject the much-needed momentum.
Ireland made a solid start to their chase, reaching 52 for 1 in seven overs. But Wanidu Hasaranga, who had hurt his hamstring after sending down just two balls, derailed them. Bowling with hardly any follow-through, he picked up 3 for 25 from his four overs. Maheesh Theekshana also took three, hastening the end as Ireland were bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs.
Earlier, Kamil Mishara barely looked assured during his brief stay. In the third over, he hit one uppishly back towards Barry McCarthy but the bowler had little time to react. In the same over, he was dropped by Ross Adair at short midwicket. But Mishara failed to make it count. In the following over, he was caught at mid-off off a slower delivery from Mark Adair. Kusal started briskly, hitting three fours in his first eight balls to take Sri Lanka to 50 for 1 by the end of the powerplay.
After the powerplay, Ireland deployed spin from both ends. That put the brakes on the scoring rate. Pathum Nissanka went for the cut against Dockrell and was caught at extra cover. Pavan Rathnayake tried to upper-cut the spinner, only for the ball to hit the middle stump. That left Sri Lanka on 68 for 3 in the 11th over.
Such was the stranglehold of the Ireland spinners that Sri Lanka couldn’t hit a boundary for 56 balls after the powerplay. All told, Ireland bowled 13 overs of spin, the most by them in a T20I.
Kamindu ended the boundary drought in the 16th over when he reverse-swept Delany for four over backward point. After that, Ireland made one fielding mistake after another to cede the advantage. In the 17th over, bowled by Matthew Humphreys, Kusal was reprieved twice and Kamindu once. The Kamindu chance at long-off went for six. To rub it in, he hit the next two balls for four, making it a 21-run over.
There was another drop in the following over, with Ross Adair putting down Kusal off Mark Adair at deep square leg. The wheels completely came off in the 19th. McCarthy started with a beamer down the leg side, which Kamindu put away for four. When the free hit arrived after two wides, Kamindu pulled it for a six. McCarthy did send back Kamindu and Dasun Shanaka off successive balls but ended up conceding 19 from the over. Lasting 11 balls, it was the joint longest over in the T20 World Cup history. Kusal, who largely played second fiddle to Kamindu, brought up his half-century in the final over.
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