Sports
CR have forced Kandy ‘lions’ to enter a cold rugby winter

By A Special Sports Correspondent
The Kandy SC vs CR&FC game schedule for February 18 (Sunday) in Colombo will be the decider in the Inter-Club league rugby tournament and the Red Shirts are slated to pull this one off. This is the ninth week of rugby and after last week’s games CR&FC head the points table followed by Kandy SC, Havelock Sports Club and CH&FC in second, third and fourth places respectively.
Last week CR&FC edged out Havelock Sports Club 12-9 in a cracker of a game and one more win, especially against the dangerous looking Kandy outfit, in this tournament would ensure that the Longden Place club are the winners this season. But the standings in the points table of the tournament would change dramatically if Kandy pulls off something special and end CR’s unbeaten run.
A Kandy SC win is highly unlikely because the game is played at Longden Place in Colombo this week. Kandy SC have a ferocious ‘Lion’ as the emblem in their club’s flag. But CR have made the Nittawela players worry this season akin to a pack of lions forced to hunt throughout a frost-biting ‘winter’.
On paper CR&FC has a talented side with the bench being equally strong. Two of the finds this season for the Red Shirts are number eight Lasindu Karunathilake and place kicker and fly half Thenuka Nanayakkara. Karunathilake has been in fine form and punched holes in the opposition defences with his fierce play in the loose. Nanayakkara has been right on target with his spot kicks and kept the scoreboard ticking during tight games.
The others to watch in this game are second row forward Adeesha Weerathunga, hooker Venura Kodagoda, lock forward and skipper Suhiru Anthony, scrum half Kavindu de Costa, dashing centre Manilka Ruberu, Gemunu Chethiya and the young wing three quarter Kushan Tharindu. CR has made massive strides this season under coach Dushanth Lewke, who is now looked upon as a coach who can make a difference where ever he goes and sets up camp.
Kandy SC will travel to Colombo with worries outweighing hopes this time around. They have already got into a distracting mode by writing to the organizers of domestic rugby tournaments making demands about a preferred venue (Nittawela) for the next tournament on the cards – the Clifford Cup- when they still have to complete this present rugby event they feature in. Kandy want all the matches they feature in to be played at Nittawela.
Even last season they made same request which was turned down by SLR. Kandy, as a result, pulled out of the Clifford Cup knockout tournament and had to be satisfied winning the league tournament. This mentality can be a distraction for a team which his season sees its dominance in the sport being checked unlike in previous years.
The good thing which happened for Kandy was that they came back strongly in last week’s game against CH&FC before pulling off a convincing 32-24. It’s heartbreaking for Kandy fans to see the Nittawela side lose or struggle at matches this season, but what spectators from the central hills must fathom is that other teams have also focused on learning the art of wining and mastering how the game must be approached in a professional manner.
If one steps into a Colombo club these days there would be no difference in the way these Western Province clubs are training and eating when compared to how Kandy SC are setting about this task. Kandy can no longer stake a claim for heading the teams when it comes to deciding which side is being bigger, faster and stronger on the field.
This side is oozing with talent with players in the likes of the Ratwatte brothers, skipper Lavanga Perera, Kavindu Perera, Danushka Ranjan and Dinal Ekanayake running as backs and players in the likes of Jason Dissanayake, Dishan Fareed, Fawmy Wajeed and Dahan Wickremaarachchi doing the honours in forwards play. Centre Tharinda Ratwatte has been a tower of strength to the side and is in his devastating best this season. He has dazzled both as a place kicker and is also one of the leading try scorers this season. Utility player Srinath Sooriyabandara can play as fullback and shift to manning the base of the scrum if Kandy is wilting under pressure. Kandy’s players are put through their paces this season by head coach Fazil Marija and he is assisted by Viraj Prashantha. Kandy SC are the reigning league champions while CR&FC finished as runners-up in the tournament last season.
In the other match of the Cup Championship CH&FC host Havelocks SC on Saturday (February 17) in a game scheduled to take place at Royal College Sports Complex. (This venue was confirmed by SLR)
In the Plate segment of the tournament Navy SC scrum down with Army at Welisara on Friday while Air Force host Police (who are heading the Plate Championship points table and already declared the winners) at Ratmalana on Saturday (February 17). Air force won the Plate Championship last season.
The teams:
CR&FC rugby pool from:S. Nanayakkara, A. Gunasinghe, S. Perera, T. Nanayakkara, Y. Kavindu, Lasindu Karunathilake, C. Muthunayake, A. Weerathunga, S. Adikaram, S. Anthony (Captain), E. Harshana, I Ariyapala, Naveen Marasinghe, K. De Costa, M. Ruberu, Gemunu Chethiya, R. Ekanayake, K. Tharindu, T. Mariyadas, R. Senanayake, W. De Mel, Rinesh Silva, Randy Silva, Raveen De Silva, V. Kodagoda
Kandy SC rugby pool from– M. Wijesundara, K. Bandara, M. Weerasinghe, Wawala Panditha, C. Soysa, C. Kudalige, Jason Dissanayake, Dahan Wickremeaarachchi, Heshan Jansen, L. Ranaweera, Dinal Ekanayake, Tharinda Ratwatte, Lavanga Perera (Captain), D. Dange, Srinath Sooriyabandara, A. Mohomed, D. Fareed, M. Chandradas, F. Wajid, S. Abeywickrama, S. Tennakoon, O. Perera, Danushka Ranjan.
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Venue announced for cricket’s Olympics return at LA28

The ICC have welcomed the announcement that the Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California, will host cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Excitement around cricket’s Olympic comeback has been building since it was confirmed that the sport would return to the Games.
On 9 April, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the player quotas and number of participating teams for cricket at the 2028 Olympics.
Both the men’s and women’s T20 competitions will feature six teams each, with a 90-player quota allocated per gender, allowing each nation to field a squad of up to 15 players.
The full tournament schedule will be finalised closer to the start of the Games.
“We welcome the announcement of the venue for cricket at Los Angeles 2028 as it is a significant step towards the preparation for our sport’s return to the Olympics,” ICC Chair Jay Shah said.
“Although cricket is a hugely popular sport, it will be a fantastic opportunity to expand traditional boundaries when it features in the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format that should appeal to new audiences.
“On behalf of the ICC, I want to express my gratitude to LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for their support and look forward to collaborating with them and ICC Members in preparing for LA28 and making cricket a huge success there.”
Cricket’s return to the Olympics was confirmed in October 2023, alongside the inclusion of five additional sports for the Los Angeles Games – baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash.
The T20 format has previously featured in multi-sport events, with both men’s and women’s competitions held at the Asian Games in 2010, 2014 and 2023. The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham featured a women’s T20 tournament.
[ICC]
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Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cautions all stakeholders of the Indian Premier League (IPL) of attempts to entice participants

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a caution to all stakeholders of the Indian Premier League (IPL) about attempts to entice participants into potentially corrupt activities. The BCCI has cautioned the owners, players, coaches, support staff, and even commentators that a businessman with dubious credentials is actively seeking to trap individuals involved in the league.
The Anti-Corruption Security Unit (ACSU) seems to believe that a businessman from Hyderabad, with clear links to punters, bookies and past and proven records of involvement in corrupt activities, is trying to befriend participants. The ACSU has urged all IPL stakeholders to report any interactions with the businessman and also disclose any possible connections or engagements with him.
The ACSU is also understood to have urged all parties involved in the league to exercise caution. Teams and individuals have been asked to remain alert and report any relevant approaches. The individual’s modus operandi is said to involve luring unsuspecting targets with expensive gifts, including jewellery.
The individual in question is reportedly attempting to get himself close to the IPL participants by masquerading as a fan. He has allegedly been spotted at the team hotels and in the matches, making efforts to befriend players and staff, and inviting potential targets to private parties. There is also information of him offering gifts not only to team members but also to their families.
One of the methods reportedly employed by him involves approaching family members of franchise owners, players, coaches, support staff, and even commentators. He is said to have been offering to take them to jewellery stores and high-end hotels posing as a fan. There are also indications that he may have attempted to contact relatives living abroad, often through social media platforms.
Previously, the ACSU had told the teams that advancing technology has increased their challenges and urged all involved in the league to be alert. Seeking cooperation from all, the BCCI said it is determined and committed to taking every step in its power to prevent corrupt practices that undermine the integrity of the sport of cricket.
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IPL 2025: Chahal four-for stuns Kolkata Knight Riders as Punjab Kings defend 111

Last year Punjab Kings (PBKS) pulled off the highest successful chase in the IPL when they came across Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This year, they have nailed the lowest successful defence, bowling KKR out for 95 after posting just 111. And this after they failed to defend 245 in their previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
At 62 for 2, KKR were 98% favourites to win, but Yuzvendra Chahal triggered a sensational collapse in conditions that were almost as helpful for the seamers as in Test cricket. Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansesn then applied the finishing touches with incisive short bowling, something KKR had used to end up with a paltry target to chase.
The ball seamed 0.5 degrees on average, and both the batting sides approached the game with high intent. Anything full flew because of the pace in the pitch, but once wickets fell, they did so in clutches. Accordingly, things happened quickly, the game swung wildly. PBKS went from 39 for 0 in 19 balls to 15 for 4 in the next 17. They lost their last wickets for 37. KKR were 7 for 2 in 1.2 overs, but scored 55 in the next 38 balls. Chahal then inspired a collapse of six wickets in 5.1 overs. The final twist was Andre Russell taking 16 off one Chahal over to rearrange his figures to 4-0-28-4, but the big left-arm quicks turned to seal the win that took PBKS into the top four.
KKR beefed up their fast bowling with Anrich Nortje ostensibly because they wanted to test the young Indian batters in PBKS, who have been doing the heavy-lifting for them. However, the openers targeted Vaibhav Arora’s second over to threaten a repeat of their high-scoring exploits. Harshit Rana, though, turned things around with shorter lengths. The wickets themselves might look innocuous but the short balls did create doubts as they stopped a little and also seamed appreciably. Priyansh Arya found deep square leg, Shreyas Iyer cut a short and wide ball straight to deep point, and Prabhsimran Singh was cramped on the cut. All three catches ended up with Ramandeep Singh.
Probably expecting high pace, PBKS reinforced their overseas batting by bringing in Josh Inglis for Marcus Stoinis. However, both their overseas batters failed to read Varun Chakravarthy from the hand. Inglis was bowled off a wrong’un trying to slog-sweep, Glenn Maxwell looking for a single.
PBKS even went for an SOS substitution, which would leave Maxwell as the fifth bowler. Sunil Narine, though, took out the Impact Player Suryansh Shedge and Jansen in the same over. A run-out between Arshdeep and IPL debutant Xavier Bartlett ended what looked like a sorry innings. The KKR seamers took 4 for 23 in 29 balls pitched shorter than 8m in length while 24 balls fuller than that went for 49 runs.
Continuing with the trend, Jansen, given the first over ahead of Arshdeep, wasted no time in testing the middle of the pitch. The ball seamed in to beat Narine’s pull, and took the top of the stumps. Bartlett, renowned for new-ball wickets in the BBL, got Quinton de Kock with the rare traditional length ball as de Kock got a massive top edge on the flick.
A few fielding errors got the partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi going, and there were calculations about the net run-rate boost that could help KKR get to the top of the table.
The IPL’s highest wicket-taker, Chahal had had an indifferent start this year with just two wickets in the first six matches. He had to take a fitness test and then reassure Ricky Ponting just to play this match. The dew had already set in as seen in how a Bartlett throw from the boundary actually slipped out for four overthrows behind him. Still Chahal kept giving the ball a rip, slowed his pace down and took out not just set batters, Rahane and Raghuvanshi, but also Rinku Singh and Ramandeep.
Rahane was beaten on the sweep, had got himself outside the line, but failed to review the lbw call. That was among Chahal’s quicker balls at 84.3kmph, but once he got a look-in he started to loop it. Raghuvanshi and Rinku were both beaten in the flight. Raghuvanshi got a thick edge to backward point, and Rinku was stumped after having been dragged out of the crease by the dip and the drift. Ramandeep premeditated a paddle-sweep first ball, and top-edged to leg slip where the anticipating Iyer had already reached from slip.
Almost halfway into the league stage, Russell’s strike-rate read 92, his season tally 23 off 25 and match score 1 off 4. The last player who could support him, Rana, had been softened up and then bowled by Jansen’s short-pitch bowling. KKR still needed 33 with two wickets in hand. This is when Russell showed up and hit Chahal for two sixes and a four to cut the deficit in half.
Arshdeep had Arora in sights for a whole over if he could manage. He pitched two balls up from around the wicket. The second could have been a single if Russell had sprinted off, but he didn’t. Arshdeep now went over the wicket and started to dig the ball in. Arora was hit on the arm as he looked to duck, beaten as he fended, and then lucky to survive as he fended again. For the last ball of the over, Arshdeep went around the wicket and bowled a snorter to take the edge right in front of Arora’s nose.
The over ended, Russell still had another shot at the target. However, he bottom-edged the first ball of the next over to kickstart rapturous celebrations in Mullanpur.
Brief scores:
Punjab Kings 111 in 15.3 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 30, Priyansh Arya 22, Nehal Wadhera 10, Shashnak Singh 18, Xavier Bartlett 11; Vaibhav Arora 1-26, Anrich Nortje 1-23, Harshit Rana 3-25, Sunil Narine 2-14, Varun Chakravarthy 2-21) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 95 in 15.1 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 17, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 37, Andre Rusell 17; Yuzvendra Chahal 4-28, Marco Jansen 3-17, Xavier Bartlett 1-30, Arshdeep Singh 1-11, Glenn Maxwell 1-05) by 16 runs
[Cricinfo]
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