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Killi Rajamahendran, Kerry Packer of Sri Lankan cricket

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by Rex Clementine

Kerry Packer was a godsend to Australian cricket. So was Killi Rajamahendran. At a time when cricket in Sri Lanka had no money, he financed the sport, single-handedly. He passed away yesterday at the age of 78.

Killi, as he was fondly known, employed many cricketers; Duleep Mendis, Roy Dias, Arjuna Ranatunga, Ashantha de Mel, Sidath Wettimuny…. the list goes on.

Players need not turn up for work at Maharaja’s, but if they did not attend training, Killi had a bone to pick. Ask Ashantha de Mel. Killi made the sport semi-professional.

Duleep Mendis was identified by Killi when he was at school. He joined Maharaja’s at 20 and remained there for 30 years. He was heart broken by learning Killi’s death. So were the other cricketers.

Sidath Wettimuny’s older brothers had given up cricket in a bid to pursue their professional careers. Sidath wanted to go in the same path. But before doing so, he consulted Killi. And he received sound advice.

“You see Sidath,” Killi had said, “Professionals, I can hire anytime. But a good cricketer like you, that would be hard to find.”

Sidath listened. Then, Lord’s 1984 happened.

The Sri Lankan team had gone to England well in advance to acclimatise to conditions. Generously, Killi gave his London apartment for Sri Lankan players to stay as the board did not have any money to look after their accommodation before the tour got underway.

As the Test match approached, in a bid to encourage the players, Killi told them that if anyone scored a hundred, he was going to give them a gift of 1000 Pounds.

Sidath, Amal Silva and Duleep Mendis scored hundreds. Arjuna Ranatunga missed out. He was dismissed for 84. Arjuna is a tough man, but the fact that he had missed out on having his name in the Lord’s honours board got the better of him and in the dressing room, he was in tears. There was a tap on Arjuna’s shoulder. It was Killi. He too had tears in his eye. All centurions were given 1000 Pounds as promised. But Arjuna received 2000 Pounds. Killi was fond of Arjuna.

People wonder how a developing cricket nation like Sri Lanka could afford Sir Garfield Sobers as their coach in 1980s. All credit obviously goes to Gamini Dissanayake. But every good leader needs a capable second in command. Killi was Gamini’s right hand man and Vice-President of Board of Control for Cricket. It is he who made it possible that Sri Lanka could hire the services of Sir Garry spending generously.

It is a well known fact that Sri Lanka were given Test status in 1981 when Gamini was President. Not many people know that before the Lord’s meeting, the Sri Lankan board had hosted Australian Cricket Board officials taking them around the country showing them our cricket infrastructure. All financed by Killi. Australia had regularly vetoed Sri Lanka’s application for Test status. But after Killi’s hospitality and having taken a good look on the status quo, they could not turn it down again. Like Kerry Packer, Killi knew how cricket politics worked.

Once Australia was on Sri Lanka’s side, England followed suit. Test status achieved; thanks to smart moves by two men; Gamini Dissanayake and Killi Rajamahendran.

After quitting cricket, Killi built up a his media empire. Like all media bosses who love cricket, he had one golden rule; never criticize cricketers.

In 2001, when England came to Sri Lanka to play a first ever three match series, there was lot of excitement. Sri Lanka won the first Test by an innings in Galle. But then from thereon, things didn’t go their way and lost the games in Kandy and at SSC. England clinched the series 2-1. Sirasa were drawing out heavy weapons. Their target, captain Sanath Jayasuriya. Then, Killi called. “That poor boy is already going through hell. Don’t add up to his misery.” Message was loud and clear. Sanath looked up to him like a father figure. So did others from Arjuna to Nuwan Zoysa.



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Hasaranga returns to Test squad; set to miss part of IPL

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Hasaranga has returned to Test cricket (Cricbuzz)

Sri Lanka leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has come out of Test retirement and has been named in the 17-man squad for the two-match series in Bangladesh. Hasaranga had announced his Test retirement in August 2023 in a bid to prolong his white-ball career. Less than a year from the T20 World Cup, he was named the captain of the national side in the shortest format.

However, he has now been included in the Test series that will run from March 22 to April 3, and affect his participation in the Indian Premier League. Should the second Test go on for all five days, Sunrisers Hyderabad – who bagged him for his base price of INR 1.5 Crore – will be without his services for their first three games of the season – on March 23, 27 and 31. Their fourth game – and the last of the first phase of the season – will also be touch and go for the Sri Lankan as it is on April 5.

Hasaranga’s inclusion is one of the two changes that Sri Lanka have made to the squad that played Afghanistan in the one-off Test last month. While Hasaranga and off-spinner Nishan Peiris have been drafted in, there was no place for Asitha Fernando and Milan Priyanth Rathnayake.

The first Test of the series begins on March 22 in Sylhet while the second game will be played in Chattogram from March 30.

Sri Lanka Test squad: Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Mendis,Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Nishan Peiris, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Chamika Gunasekara

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Sri Lanka lose series after another batting flop

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Janith Liyanage’s maiden ODI hundred was in vain as Sri Lanka suffered a four wicket defeat in the third ODI and lost the series 2-1.

Sri Lanka’s batting lacked intent or purpose needed for a series decider as they crashed to a four-wicket loss with 58 ball to spare in the third ODI against Bangladesh in Chittagong yesterday. The series was levelled at 1-1 and with the final game being a day match and dew not affecting teams, the tourists had a fine opportunity but their batting was a huge letdown.

The in form Pathum Nissanka was given out leg before wicket in the second over but didn’t review the decision. Had he done so, the decision would have been overturned.

Avishka Fernando’s horror tour continued as he was dismissed for four. In six innings on this tour, he has crossed double figures only once.

Sadeera Samarawickrama had been dismissed for four single digit scores in his past four games and although he went on to make 14, the team needed much more from him.

Many had expected Kamindu Mendis to replace either Sadeera or Avishka but the selectors opted for the same batting unit.

Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage all threw away their wickets and at 154 for seven, Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel.

If not for Janith Liyanage’s maiden ODI hundred, Sri Lanka would have fared much worse. He shared a 60-run stand for the eighth wicket with Maheesh Theekshana, who was making a comeback to the team.

A total of 235 was way below expectations, especially in a series decider. Although Bangladesh chased it inside 41overs, the scoreboard pressure would have tested the hosts.

Bangladesh bowlers were on the money. Their quicks didn’t send down too many loose balls while the spinners toyed with the Sri Lankans’ patience and were richly rewarded.

Lahiru Kumara kept Sri Lanka interested with career best figures of four for 48 but there was not much support for him.

Maheesh Theekshana once again failed to pick up a wicket. This is the fourth game in a row he had gone without a wicket.

At one point Bangladesh needed 58 with four wickets in hand and Sri Lanka could have still made a game out of it. But Man of the Match Rishad Hossain turned the game on its head with some clean hits smashing 48 off 18 balls. He hit the first ball of his innings for six off Hasaranga and scored 16 runs off the over.

The Bangladeshi leg-spinner sealed the game in his side’s favour when Hasaranga came on to bowl the 40th over of the innings when he scored 24 runs in the first five balls as Sri Lanka suffered an embarrassing defeat.

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Centuries galore as the 119th Lovers Quarrel ends in draw

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dinura Kalupahana became the sixth batsman from Mahinda to score a century at the annual big Match

by Reemus Fernando

The Livers Quarrel Big Match has not witnessed many centuries. According to Big Match suvenier details, there had been only 16 centuries from both Richmond and Mahinda in its history of more than hundred years. This year when the arch rivals met in the 119th edition at the Galle International Stadium there were three centuries as the match ended in a draw.

In reply to Mahinda’s 169 runs, Richmond reached 270 for six wickets declared as open batsman Chehan Subasinghe and Malsha Tharupathi scored centuries. Subasinghe was trying to anchor the innings when three of their top order batsmen failed to reach double figures. Subasinghe put on a fifth wicket stand of 149 runs with skipper Tharupathi. Subasinghe’s knock (in 206 balls) included just five fours. Tharupathi’s knock was a complete contrast as he hammered nine fours and four sixes in his 111 runs. The Sri Lanka Under 19 player’s knock came in 74 balls.

Mahinda had a deficit of 101 runs when they commenced the second innings. Stage was ideally set for someone to produce a match saving innings. It came from none other than their skipper Dinura Kalupahana who was the top scorer for Sri Lanka Under 19s at the recently held ICC Youth World Cup. Kalupahana top scored with 124 runs inclusive of 16 fours. He used 145 balls. He was involved in a huge first wicket stand of 172 runs with Tharusha Dilshan who made 63.

Kalupahana’s 124 runs is the third highest individual score by a Mahinda batsman behind P.H.K.H Ranasinghe’s 162 (1972) and Sirisena Hettige’s 155 in 1939. According to Mahinda statistics Kalupahana is the sixth batsman from his school to score a century in the Big Match in the 119 year old history.

For Richmond it was the century number 12 and 13 as they ended more than six-year wait for a century.

Tharupathi won the Man of the Match award, While Subasinghe walked away with the Best Batsman award, off spinner Kaveesha Induwara was given away the Best Bowler award. Mahinda wicket keeper Hareen Achintha won the Best Fielder award.

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