Sports

Saika Ishaque’s rough path to WPL glory

Published

3 years ago

2023/03/11

The confidence in Saika Ishaque’s voice was unmistakable as she put on the purple cap, having become the highest wicket-taker in the WPL with two strikes against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. On Thursday, she stretched her lead at the top with three more wickets against Delhi Capitals, sending them on their way to 105 all out. Capitals headed into what was a clash between two unbeaten sides with back-to-back 200-plus totals. But they were undone by the brilliance of Ishaque, who’s taken a rough path to the glitz and glamour of the WPL.

Ishaque comes from a humble background in Park Circus, a neighbourhood in south Kolkata. She was introduced to the sport by her father, who passed away 15 years ago. She did the hard yards at the Under-19 and Under-23 levels for Bengal before playing for the senior side. But a shoulder injury in 2018 pegged her back for a couple of years and the road forward was tough.

Ishaque struggled to pick up wickets on her return and was then left out of the Bengal side. Low on confidence, she was introduced to former Bengal left-arm spin allrounder Shibsagar Singh in 2021, and he helped her make technical adjustments. Watching some footage of her, Shibsagar observed that Ishaque was bowling very full and not letting the ball turn enough.

“I saw that she is talented and there is something different about her, and made her understand what her issue is,” Shibsagar told ESPNcricinfo. “I asked her to pull her length back a touch, that allowed the ball to deviate, rather than bowling it full and not letting it turn. I also told her to not try for wickets but concentrate on bowling in the right way.

“I told her to focus on bowling one ball at a time and not think of the entire over or other stuff. Her mindset slowly began changing. Her earlier focus was on wanting to pick X wickets in Y overs.”

Former India allrounder Rumeli Dhar, who also captained Ishaque at Bengal, loved the gusty, fighting character that Ishaque was in the side. Bowling to batters who attack was something she particularly revelled in.

“When I was the captain, there were a couple of instances where I have asked her if she would be able to pick up a tough wicket and she upfront used to say yes and did it too,” Dhar said. “She is badmaash [naughty] but she is fun-loving. She knows to have fun and also knows how to make people laugh.

“[Ever since her comeback] she knows where she should land the ball to get it to spin and trouble the batter. She has learnt how to respond to captains’ and coaches’ calls of bowling in specific areas and situations. She has a lot of control with her bowling.”

Capitals would learn of it the hard way.

Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma, easily one of the most dangerous opening pairs in the WPL, had a 162-run stand in Capitals’ opening game and then put up a half-century partnership against UP Warriorz heading into the game against Mumbai. Ishaque, though, struck the first blow off her sixth ball, having Shafali play around a flighted delivery that was slanted into the stumps to bowl her. Capitals were briefly buoyed by a fifty-run stand between Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues – going from 31 for 3 to 81 for 3 – but then Ishaque was at it again.

Brought back in the 13th over for her third, Ishaque again attacked the stumps and just fired it in a touch, only for Rodrigues to go back and miss her cut and be bowled. The left-arm spinner then struck a telling blow on the last ball by floating one up outside off and enticing Lanning to charge down and take the aerial route only for her to hit it to extra cover.

This all came after a four-wicket haul against Gujarat Giants at DY Patil Stadium to set up her team in the WPL curtain-raiser. While it was captain Harmanpreet Kaur who stole the show with her scintillating fifty, Ishaque’s exploits made sure everyone took note of her too.

And so far, of her nine wickets in the WPL, seven have been either bowled or lbw.Ahead of the WPL, Shibsagar took Ishaque to the East Bengal club to train with male cricketers. He specifically asked them to attack her in a bid to prepare her for the WPL, and he liked what he saw.

“She is dimaagwali (intelligent). Never afraid to bowl the tough overs – she will bowl two overs in the powerplay and then also want to bowl at the death,” Shibsagar said. “Any bowler can get hit but she is always confident of picking up wickets.”

The WPL, it is expected, will be a means to unearth uncapped talents and fast track them into the national set-up. Given Ishaque’s WPL performances have come at a time when India’s incumbent left-arm spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav are struggling for consistency and penetration, Ishaque could well be on this path. (Cricinfo)

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Sports

Sri Lanka’s RPS blueprint

Published

3 hours ago

2026/01/25

Thilina Walpola

In the last 18 months, Sri Lanka have accounted for Australia and India and a win over England in the remaining two ODIs will complete wins over the big three.

Sri Lanka’s home ODI record since the wreckage of the 2023 World Cup has been a study in quiet efficiency. Ninth place in India and an early Champions Trophy exit could have sent the wheels spinning, but instead the hosts have responded by turning their backyard into a fortress. Since then, Sri Lanka have played seven ODI series at home and won all of them. These are not against minnows, but against the heavyweights, including World Cup finalists Australia and India. Beat England again on Saturday and within the space of 18 months, the so-called Big Three would have been ticked off one by one.

Much of this good work has been done at the R. Premadasa Stadium, a venue that has become Sri Lanka’s tactical sweet spot. There are murmurs, as always, about doctored pitches handing the hosts an unfair edge, but that argument doesn’t quite stand. The current England series has been played on honest strips and in any case, this is no longer the Sri Lankan line-up of old, blessed with nimble feet and wrists made for slow bowling. Apart from Kusal Mendis, the current batting group struggles badly against spin, particularly wrist spin, which explains why Pakistan doubled up with leg-spinners recently and why England rolled out Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed in the opening ODI.

The RPS blueprint is fairly straightforward: bat first, post something in the region of 275, then squeeze. Patience is the currency here. After the 30th over of the chase, the surface begins to grip, the ball talks a little more and visiting sides often find themselves strangled by scoreboard pressure rather than outright turn.

The opening win against England, however, didn’t quite follow the script. Sri Lanka’s seamers sprayed it around towards the end, struggling for line and control, perhaps guilty of overcooking the wide yorker. That is where solid coaching support becomes priceless, brains in the dugout to complement Sanath Jayasuriya, not attention-seekers chasing social media applause.

The old saying goes that the ends don’t justify the means, but winning has a way of papering over cracks. The public may forget the flaws, but coaches can’t afford to. Margins at this level are wafer-thin and what slips by on one day can bite hard on another.

One major positive was Kusal Mendis finally embracing the anchor’s role. Without him, Sri Lanka might well have been bowled out inside the 50 overs. Too often Mendis has dazzled with a rapid 30 before gifting his wicket with a low-percentage stroke. This time, it was a back-to-the-wall innings – cramps, pressure and all – and he refused to throw in the towel.

The maturity was evident in the final over. Sitting on 92, Mendis resisted the temptation to hog the strike in search of a hundred, instead backing Dunith Wellalage. The youngster repaid the faith in style, clouting three boundaries and a six as 23 runs came off the over – the decisive burst in a 19-run victory.

Mendis also effected two sharp stumpings and many in the press box had him pencilled in as Player of the Match. But the nod went to Wellalage and rightly so. His all-round contribution tilted the contest Sri Lanka’s way and that stunning catch to dismiss Rehan Ahmed was pure athleticism and good presence of mind.

Off the field, the British tourists outnumbered locals in the stands and beer sales reportedly went through the roof on Thursday. Colombo’s leading hotels are full, a timely shot in the arm for the economy. Now the hosts must play their part off the pitch as well – clear signboards, directions to washrooms and basic facilities go a long way.

by Rex Clementine ✍️

Sports

T20 World Cup trophy arrives at Dialog headquarters

Published

3 hours ago

2026/01/25

Thilina Walpola

From left to right: Yamith Anuradha – Product Manager, Advertising Media & Home, Dialog Axiata PLC, Pubudu Aluthgedara – Head of Business, Media & Home, Lasantha Theverapperuma – Group Chief Marketing Officer, Supun Weerasinghe – Group Chief Executive, Upul Nawaratne Bandara – Head of Marketing, Sri Lanka Cricket, Harsha Samaranayake – Vice President, Group Marketing, Dialog Axiata PLC

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy made a landmark stop at the Dialog Axiata PLC headquarters on Friday, marking a celebratory moment in Sri Lanka’s countdown to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Following its stop at Dialog headquarters, the trophy embarked on an island-wide tour, travelling to Kandy, Dambulla, and Jaffna. The tour offers fans a rare opportunity to see the trophy up close, capture memorable moments and take part in the build-up to the tournament.

Co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played from 7th February to 8th March across multiple venues in both countries.

The visit carried special significance for Dialog, a long-standing partner of Sri Lankan cricket. Over the years, Dialog has played a key role in transforming how fans experience the game, from live broadcasts and digital platforms to on-ground activations, helping ensure that cricket remains widely accessible to supporters across the island.

Dialog holds the exclusive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup media and broadcasting rights in Sri Lanka under a multi-year agreement. Fans will be able to enjoy live matches, highlights, expert analysis, and comprehensive coverage on Dialog Television and Dialog Play App, bringing the excitement of world-class cricket into Sri Lankan homes. This is complemented by a free-to-air broadcast partnership with Supreme TV, helping extend coverage to audiences nationwide.

Foreign News

Naqvi casts uncertainty on Pakistan’s participation in T20 World Cup after Bangladesh ouster

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/25

Priyan

Mohsin Naqvi said the decision to play in the T20 World Cup or not now rests with the Pakistan government [Cricinfo]

Pakistan’s participation at the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has been thrown into uncertainty after the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said a final decision would be made after talking to Pakistan’s government. Speaking shortly after the ICC officially removed Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup owing to their refusal to play in India, Naqvi accused the ICC of “double standards” favouring India, and termed what happened to Bangladesh “an injustice”.

“Our stance on World Cup participation will be what the government of Pakistan instructs me,” he said. “The Prime Minister is not in Pakistan right now. When he returns, I’ll be able to give you our final decision. It’s the government’s decision. We obey them, not the ICC.”

Over the past week or so, Pakistan has firmly thrown its support behind Bangladesh in their dispute with the ICC demanding a venue outside of India to play their T20 World Cup matches. At an ICC meeting last week, the PCB was understood to be the only board to back the BCB in their stance. The tournament is jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, but Bangladesh’s games were all scheduled in India. Bangladesh, however, have said it is no longer safe for them to play in India after the BCCI, on January 3, instructed Kilkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman rom their IPL 2026 squad.

Though no reason was stated for that directive, it came amid deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh. On January 4, the BCB wrote to the ICC after consultation with the government that the Bangladesh team would not travel to India for its T20 World Cup matches due to security concerns, a stance it stuck to through several subsequent discussions with the ICC.

The ICC has repeatedly refused Bangladesh’s request, and earlier this week gave them an ultimatum demanding them to accept the schedule as it was, or face being removed from the tournament. On Saturday, with Bangladesh sticking to their position, the ICC formally announced Bangladesh would not be part of the T20 World Cup, and would be replaced instead by Scotland.

Naqvi was critical of the decision, calling it an injustice to Bangladesh. “I think Bangladesh has been hard done by,” he said. “You can’t have double standards. You can’t say for one country [India] they can do whatever they want and for the others to have to do the complete opposite. That’s why we’ve taken this stand, and made clear Bangladesh have had an injustice done to them. They should play in the World Cup, they are a major stakeholder in cricket.”

While there have been local, unverified reports that the PCB would refuse to participate in the World Cup in solidarity with Bangladesh should they be removed, the PCB has declined to confirm to ESPNcricinfo when approached. Naqvi’s comments to the media on Saturday was the first time anyone at the PCB has directly addressed the issue, where he repeatedly said the decision was no longer in the hands of the PCB.

“If the government of Pakistan says we mustn’t play, then maybe the ICC will bring in a 22nd team (after Scotland). It’s up to the government.”

No specific reason was given by Naqvi other than to support Bangladesh, as to why government permission would now be required for an event that starts in two weeks. Last year, both BCCI and PCB, with the approval of ICC, signed up to a hybrid model agreement by which both countries would play each other on neutral territory for all global events in the 2024-27 rights cycle.

Pakistan play all their games in Sri Lanka for this event (which already was a co-hosted event) and are scheduled to play the opening game of the tournament, against Netherlands on February 7. They are scheduled to play India on February 15 in Colombo in their group stage clash.

[Cricinfo]