Sports
How Sri Lanka have dominated T-20 World Cups
by Rex Clementine
You tend to believe that in order to be successful in T-20 cricket, you need to either have a strong domestic league (IPL, Big Bash League or Caribbean Premier League) or you need to have several big hitters. Despite not having any of these, Sri Lankans have gone onto dominate T-20 World Cups. There have been seven editions of the T-20 World Cups so far and the lions have reached finals on three occasions. No other team has reached three finals.
They have also gone onto show that brutal bower is not the only thing that win you matches. Touch players like Mahela Jayawardene have had a massive impact in the shortest format of the game. In fact, Mahela is the only player to have scored 1000 runs in T-20 World Cups. West Indian great Chris Gayle is the second highest scorer with 965 runs to his credit.
India’s Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli need 155 and 157 runs respectively to complete 1000 runs in World Cups.The highest partnership for any wicket in T-20 World Cups also belongs to the Sri Lankan pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. The two former skippers, who share many World Records, added 166 runs for the second wicket against West Indies in Barbados in 2010.
Ajantha Mendis has made several strong batting units eat humble pie with his mystery spin and Zimbabwe had no clue against him in the 2012 edition as he picked up six wickets for just eight runs. That’s the best bowling figures in the history of T-20 World Cups.
In the 2014 edition, in the must win clash against New Zealand, a virtual quarter-final, Sri Lanka took a gamble by bringing in left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and the Kiwis collapsed as they were bowled out for 60 runs, their lowest in T-20 cricket. Herath was unplayable with his five wickets costing only three runs. That’s the second best bowling figures in T-20 World Cups.
Making his maiden appearance in a World Cup, Wanindu Hasaranga was quite handful last year in UAE as he became the highest wicket taker of the tournament with 16 scalps. That’s the most wickets by a bowler in a T-20 World Cup. He in fact broke the record of Ajantha Mendis, who had claimed 15 wickets in 2012.
Sri Lanka’s total of 260 for six against Kenya in 2007 is the highest total in a World Cup innings. The lowest total recorded in World Cups is 39 by Netherlands in 2014 and the team that bowled them out was Sri Lanka. The record for the biggest victory margin of 172 runs is also owned by Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka have a winning percentage of 63.5, the highest by any team in World Cups.
Corbin Bosch has been served legal notice by the PCB, alleging breach of contractual obligations, after the South Africa allrounder signed for Mumbai Indians for IPL 2025, thus pulling out of PSL 2025.
This season is the first in which the PSL will be played concurrently with the IPL: The IPL will run from March 22 to May 25, and the PSL from April 11 to May 18. Bosch had been picked by Peshawar Zalmi, in the diamond category, at the PSL draft that was held in January. But on March 8, it was announced by Mumbai Indians that he would be replacing the injured Lizaad Williams in their squad.
The PSL franchises have been keen to take some sort of action on Bosch, as they are worried it could set a precedent for players signing up with the PSL but then switching to the IPL. The idea of an outright ban on such players has also been floated in informal discussions.
A PCB statement said: “The legal notice was served through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments. The PCB management has also outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and expects his response within the stipulated time frame. The PCB will not make any further comments on the matter.”
The statement did not specify what the time frame was for Bosch to respond.
The PCB had shifted the PSL window with a view to improve the quality and availability of overseas players whom the league would be able to sign. When the PSL was in the February-March window, it also had to compete with the SA20, ILT20 and the BPL for players. ESPN Cricinfo had reported last year when the window was changed that holding the PSL draft after the IPL auction had also been discussed, to have greater clarity about the availability of overseas players for the league. Leading into this season, the IPL auction was held in November 2024 and the PSL draft in January 2025.
The PSL draft duly attracted a large number of high-profile players, including David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Jason Holder, Rassie van der Dussen and Kane Williamson.
[Cricinfo]
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Kandy Sports Club crowned themselves as ‘Cup Championship’ winners in the inter-club league rugby tournament when they overcame their final hurdle by beating Havelocks Sports Club by 50 points to 24 at Nittawela last evening.
Kandy SC was anyway assured of the title this season before this final game of the season even began, given that they were unbeaten thus far in the league tournament. Kandy SC collected their points through seven tries, six conversions and a penalty while Havelocks Sports Club responded with a three converted tries and a penalty.
Kandy SC set the pace for the game from the kick off itself and recorded first half tries through Dinal Ekanayake, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Kenula Hettiarachchi and Dahan Wickremaarachchi and all four conversions were slotted in by Tharinda Ratwatte. Havelocks SC got most of their points in the first half through Sandesh Jayawickreme who scored a try and booted through a conversion. The penalty for the Park Club was kicked right by Samuel Maduwantha.
Kandy SC faced some resistance from Havies after the turn around, but the side from Nittawela found the try line by breaking through a barrage of tackles from the men wearing the pink and chocolate jerseys.
Dahan Wickremaarachchi started the ball rolling for Kandy with a try after the turn around which took the side’s score to 38 with the conversion. Havies played in patches thereafter and scored through Jayathu Rajaratne and Janidu Fernando. Jayawickreme was spot on with the conversions.
Kandy’s Ethen Schneider Loos smashed his way through for the side’s sixth try which was converted by Ratwatte. Kandy had the game in the bag despite Havies playing attacking rugby whenever they had possession. But the score line deference that Kandy maintained throughout the game made it hard for Havies to make a real comeback into the game.
The Nittwala side erupted in jubilation when Ekanayake punted ahead and sent crowd favourite Nigel Ratwatte for the seventh and final try. There was speculation throughout the game that this would be Nigel’s final game for the Kandy SC side. Surprisingly Tharinda missed the conversion.
At the awards presentation ceremony after the game, Kandy Sports Club’s Tharinda Ratwatte was named as the highest points scorer for the 2024/25 league rugby season. He has accumulated 139 points this season.
Havelocks Sports produced the highest try scorer for the season. That award went to Jayathu Rajaratne of Havies. He has had 16 touchdowns this season. Havelocks Sports Club had to be satisfied with the runners-up trophy at the awards presentation. Players from both sides including the coaching staff were presented with medals by the organisers of the tournament.
Meanwhile CR&FC did well in their last outing in the Cup Championship segment of the league tournament when they beat Air Force by 31 points to 16 at Longden Place.
In the two Plate Segment matches, Sri Lanka Navy beat Sri Lions by 41 points to 38 at Race Course.In the other match of the Plate segment, Police SC beat Army SC by 24 points to 17. The match was played at Police Park.
Mutthusami Sivarajan and Rasara Wijesuriya won the men’s and women’s Cross Country Championships of the National Sports Festival conducted in Nuwara Eliya.
Sivarajan representing Central Province returned a time of 34 minutes and 21 seconds to finish ahead of Samantha Pushpakumara and Damith Hemantha Kumara.
In the women’s category, Wijesuriya from Eastern Province clocked 38 minutes and 41 seconds finish ahead of Madhushani Herath and Chamini Herath.
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