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Latest News

Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

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2026/01/3

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Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.

The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.

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Rabada to lead strong South Africa pace attack at T20 World Cup

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2026/01/3

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Kagiso Rabada returned from a long injury layoff on New Year's Eve in the SA20 (Cricinfo)

Kagiso Rabada,  who returned to action on New Year’s Eve after almost ten weeks on the sidelines with a rib injury,   will lead South Africa’s attack at the men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. Rabada, who took 2 for 48 on comeback for MI Cape Town (MICT) in the SA20, has been named alongside five other quicks: Anrich Nortje,  Marco Jansen,  Corbin Bosch,  Lungi Ngidi  and Kwena Maphaka complete South Africa’s pace battery.

Maphaka and Bosch are among seven players who will appear at a World Cup for the first time. The others are batters Dewald Brevis,  Tony de Zorzi and Jason Smith,  and allrounders George Linde and Donovan Ferreira.

South Africa will be led by regular T20 skipper Aiden Markram and will have only seven members of the squad that reached the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Quinton de Kock is back at the top of the order after making himself available for South Africa in October, while David Miller,  Keshav Maharaj,  Jansen, Rabada and Nortje were all in the XI that lost to India in Barbados in June 2024.

Of those not in the squad, Heinrich Klaasen has retired from international cricket while Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin and Tabraiz Shamsi have missed out. All eight of these players are currently in action in T20 franchise leagues, with the first seven at the SA20 and Shamsi at the ILT20 and then the BBL.

Among the biggest talking points in the current squad is the addition of de Zorzi, who has not played in a month, since injuring his hamstring in an ODI against India in Raipur. De Zorzi had been in good form prior to that match, and is seen as someone who is suited to subcontinent conditions. He is part of the Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) squad in the SA20 but has yet to play a game.

Tony is recovering well,” Moroney said. “He’s working with a medical team and he will be fit and ready to go when we play the West Indies. He’s probably slotting in at number three.”

Moroney also explained the selectors’ thinking behind leaving out Rickelton and Stubbs.

“It was a big decision between Quinny de Kock and Ryan Rickelton and ultimately we’ve opted to go with Quinny de Kock in that opening berth along with Aiden Markram,” he said.

“On Stubbs, in theory what we’ve really looked for there is to make sure that we have that attacking middle order where the left-handed David Miller slots in for us ideally and then with [Dewald] Brevis and [Donovan] Ferreira complementing him on either side is our general plan.

“That’s what we’ve opted for with Stubbs not included in this tour, in this World Cup.”

Smith, who only has five international caps to his name, is also something of a surprise inclusion. Smith has recently enhanced his reputation as a finisher after an unbeaten 68 off 19 balls to send Dolphins into the playoff of the CSAT20 Challenge, and the 14-ball 41 for MICT against DSG in the SA20 opener.  Smith also offers a seam-bowling option, though he has not bowled since October as he recovers from a niggle. MICT coach Robin Peterson confirmed Smith may start bowling towards the end of the competition.

“Jason brings us a lot of versatility and is able to bat nearly anywhere in the order,” Moroney said. “He also gives us that opportunity to go in in the powerplay. That’s something that we were looking at, to get that player movement, to give the coach the opportunity to be strategic and slot batters into different positions in the batting order. It definitely gives us that versatility that we look for.”

Left-arm quick Nandre Burger, Moroney said, was unlucky to miss out. Burger sustained a hamstring injury recently, but it wasn’t this as much as competition for slots that led to his non-selection, with Nortje selected instead.

“Nandre Burger was part of the selection [conversation] and we’ve opted to go with Anrich Nortje instead of a player like Nandre. He’s recovering and everything indicates that he’ll be fully fit, but from a selection point of view we’ve gone with Anrich.”

In the spin department, South Africa have stuck to their two left-arm spinners in Maharaj and Linde, while Markram and Ferreira (who also keeps wicket) will be the offspin options. The international career of left-arm wristspinner Shamsi, who recently won a case for a no-objection certificate against Cricket South Africa and is no longer centrally contracted, appears to be over.

The T20 World Cup will be the first white-ball tournament under all-format coach Shukri Conrad, who took over the limited-overs sides in July last year. His regular support staff of Ashwell Prince (batting coach), Piet Botha (bowling coach) and Kruger van Wyk (fielding coach) will be enhanced by Albie Morkel as a specialist T20 consultant. Morkel is currently part of the management team of Joburg Super Kings at the SA20.

All South Africa’s players will be involved in the SA20 for most of this month. They will then host West Indies for three T20Is before heading to India for the T20 World Cup. Their campaign starts against Canada on February 9. South Africa will also play Afghanistan, New Zealand and the UAE in the group stage.

South Africa squad for the T20 World  Cup: 

Aiden Markram (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Smith

(Cricinfo)

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Weather

Showes  about 75 mm are likely at some places in the  Eastern and Uva provinces and in Matale, Nuwara-Eliya and Polonnaruwa districts.

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2026/01/3

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WEATHER FORECAST FOR 03 JANUARY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 03 January 2026 by the Department of Meteorology 

Due to the low-level atmospheric disturbance to the East of Sri Lanka, the prevailing showery condition is expected to continue in the Eastern, Northern, and Uva provinces during the coming
days,

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the  Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.

Showers will occur at times in the Eastern, Central, North-central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. Fairly heavy showes  about 75 mm are likely at some places in the  Eastern and Uva provinces and in Matale, Nuwara-Eliya and Polonnaruwa districts.

Several spells of showers will occur in the Northern province.
Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere after 2.00 p.m.

Fairly strong winds of about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times over Eastern slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee,
Hambantota and Monaragala districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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