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IPL experience will create good energy for SL: Bhanuka Rajapaksa

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3 years ago

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ASIA CUP 2022

The swashbuckling, thrill-a-minute batter – who turned heads in the early phase of IPL 2022 with his cameos – is hoping to carry the ‘positive vibes’ of IPL to the Sri Lankan side at the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka have the second-best tally of Asia Cup wins (5 to India’s 7) but their last victory came back in 2014.

“For me, the experience I bring after playing in the IPL will create good energy for the side,” Rajapaksa said. “One of the best chats I had with Liam Livingstone was when he said, ‘If it’s in the V, make sure the ball is in the trees”. He’d just be that aggressive. Proper slam-bang player.

“Coming back to the Sri Lankan side, I have brought in a lot of positivity after speaking to a lot of the IPL players, like Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal and Kagiso Rabada. I don’t think I have the time to explain in detail the talks we had, but there were a lot of positive vibes. I’m hoping we can take that same brand of cricket to the world.”

They can put this ‘brand’ to test on the opening night (August 27) of the multi-team tournament, when they take on Afghanistan in Dubai.

Hong Kong qualify

Like in 2018, Hong Kong have made it to Asia Cup again. They’re in the same group as India and Pakistan – like 2018 again. They face Rohit Sharma’s side on August 31 and Pakistan on September 2 – in Dubai and Sharjah respectively.

Asia Cup 2022 Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohamad Wasim Jr., Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Usman Qadir, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Hasnain

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kusal Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dinesh Chandimal, Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madhushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Nuwan Thushara

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Sabbir Rahman, Mohammad Naim, Afif Hossein, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan, Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Taskin Ahmed

Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Samiullah Shinwari, Afsar Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmed Malik, Rashid Khan

(Cricbuzz)


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Ramakrishnan Sridhar appointed Sri Lanka’s fielding coach until T20 World Cup

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11 mins ago

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2025/12/18

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Sridhar's tenure will run until the end of the men's T20 World Cup next year

Sri Lanka Cricket have appointed Ramakrishnan Sridhar as the national team’s fielding coach, with his tenure set to run until the completion of the ICC men’s T20 World Cup in March next year.

A BCCI Level 3 qualified coach, Sridhar previously served as India’s men’s team fielding coach from 2014 to 2021. More recently, he served as a consultant coach with the Afghanistan team. He will now turn his attention to improving Sri Lanka’s fielding standards, working closely with the squad on the upcoming tours of Pakistan and England before overseeing preparations for the T20 World Cup.

“Sri Lankan players have always stood for instinctive brilliance, resilience, and collective spirit,” Sridhar was quoted as saying by an SLC release. “My role is not to impose a system, but to nurture an environment where athleticism, awareness, and pride in the field can grow naturally.”

Sridhar is already familiar with the Sri Lankan setup, having conducted a 10-day specialised fielding programme at the National High Performance Centre earlier this year. “Fielding thrives when players feel connected to the ball, to each other, and to the moment,” he added.

“Sri Lanka’s traditional strengths – quick hands, sharp reflexes, and fearless intent, can be further enhanced by creating realistic, game-like learning environments.” [Cricbuzz]

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Kaveethra shines as Mahanama dominate

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13 mins ago

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2025/12/18

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Venura Kaveethra excelled with a good double as Mahanama ended day one in a strong position in the Under 19 Division I cricket tournament match against Lumbini at Mattegoda on Wednesday.

‎Kaveethra shared seven wickets with paceman Geeth Sandaruwan to rattle Lumbini for a mere 63 runs and later put on a partnership of 118 runs for the fourth wicket with Sithum Vihanga.

‎Vihanga top scored with 82 runs while Kaushika Thilakarathne made 60.

‎‎Mahanama dominate at Mattegoda

‎‎Scores

‎Lumbini 63 all out in 25.2 overs (Venura Kaveethra 4/17, Geeth Sandaruwan 3/31, Thaviru Perera 2/07)

‎Mahanama

228 for 4 in 41 overs (Sithum Vihanga 82, Kaushika Thilakarathne 60, Venura Kaveethra 39n.o., Sanul Weerarathne 24; Mihisara Weerasinghe 2/53)

‎‎DSS post 234 for seven wickets at DSS ground against Richmond

‎‎Scores

‎DSS 234 for 7 in 72 overs (Mayuru Bandara 22, Janindu Ranasinghe 23, Shevan Menusha 68, Randisha Bandaranayake 41, Haamid Afdhal 27n.o., Chithum Baddage 25n.o. ; Minage Ariyadasa 2/63, Tenush Nimsara 2/65)

‎St. Sebastian’s 93 for 3 against Trinity at Asgiriya

‎Scores

‎St. Sebastians’ 93 for 3 in 41.5 overs (Kaveesha Perera 48n.o.)

 

by Reemus Fernando

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Pramodya Wickramasinghe to head Sri Lanka’s new selection committee

Published

13 hours ago

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2025/12/17

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Pramodya Wickramasinghe has headed the committee for two years in the past

Former fast bowler Pramodya Wickremasinghe will head Sri Lanka’s new national selection committee, which picks both men’s and women’s senior squads. Also in the committee are former cricketers Vinothan John, Indika de Saram, Rasanjali de Alwis and Tharanga Paranavithana.

While the committee headed by Upul Tharanga is now defunct, there is some continuity for this fresh committee, with Paranavitana and de Saram also having served under Tharanga. Wickramasinghe has been chief selector before – between 2021 and 2023 – with Sri Lanka men’s poor performance in the 2023 World Cup prompting his removal. He was also part of a selection committee headed by Sanath Jayasuriya – now head coach – between 2013 and 2015.

The change in selectors was announced by Sri Lanka’s sports ministry. SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva said the board had been involved in the process. Sri Lanka’s Sports Law dictates that such appointments go through the sports ministry.

“Sri Lanka Cricket sends a list of about ten names to the ministry, and they have chosen from that,” de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “There is no term as such. The appointment is until further notice.”

De Silva also said that the Tharanga-led committee had simply come to the end of its term. Internally, there had been no push towards extending their term until the end of the men’s T20 World Cup in February and March. In fact, it had been a little over three weeks ago that Tharanga suggested captain Charith Asalanka may be replaced in the coming weeks. That decision now passes to the new committee, whose first major assignment will be to select the World Cup squad.

All five members of this new committee have represented Sri Lanka at the highest level. Both Paranavitana and de Saram played domestic cricket into this decade. John is the oldest selector among them, having played his last match for Sri Lanka in 1987.

[Cricinfo]

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