Sports
Snubbing KJP; a Hobson’s choice
by Rex Clementine
Sri Lanka have named their squad for the ICC T-20 World Cup and some big names that featured in T-20 sides in recent outings have been given the cold shoulder. The most notable of them all is former captain Kusal Janith Perera. Perhaps the fiercest striker of the cricket ball in Sri Lankan colours currently, KJP has hardly had an impact in internationals after returning to the side from injury.
Given his seniority, reputation and the impact he can make in T-20 cricket, leaving KJP out of the side would have been a tough call, but the most important criteria in selections is form and KJP didn’t fit the bill. At the age of 33, you just hope that he doesn’t throw in the towel but hangs in there and bounces back strongly.
Avishka Fernando is another notable exclusion from the side. A very exciting talent with lots of time to play his shots, Avishka has the ability to turn a game on its head within a matter of few overs. But he’s been completely out of sort in recent internationals and although there were some sparkling knocks in the World Cup preparation competition, his inadequacies while facing left-arm swing bowling had been exposed in Bangladesh.
Left-arm seamer Binura Fernando was another player to be overlooked after featuring in the T-20 side in recent series. Nuwan Thushara, who impressed with a hat-trick in Sri Lanka’s recent outing has been preferred over Fernando.
Sri Lanka’s fast bowling is in good hands with Dushmantha Chameera returning to the side fully fit. He will spearhead the attack that will include young fast bowling sensation Matheesha Pathirana while left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka returns after injury.
Former captains Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka provide back up in the bowling department while Dhananjaya de Silva provides a spin bowling option.
How Sri Lanka will use DDS remains to be seen. With the top six set and Kamindu Mendis providing a spin bowling option, you wonder whether DDS would fit into the scheme of things.
Dunith Wellalage is the only uncapped player in the squad. Although Wellalage has featured regularly in the 50 over format, he is yet to represent Sri Lanka in the shortest format of the game. The former Sri Lanka Under-19 captain had a good outing with the ball during the World Cup preparation competition.
Captain Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana are the team’s leading spin bowlers. Hasaranga missed the IPL due to injury and in recent domestic games has played as a specialist batsman. Since assuming duties as captain, more than as a bowler, Hasaranga has had an impact in his new role as a floater coming up the order and giving the team some quick runs.
Theekshana’s ability to bowl in the Power Plays is a big advantage and he will be the player to watch during the competition.
Sri Lanka’s batting revolves around Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kamindu Mendis. Together with them, Angelo Mathews forms the top six.
Sri Lanka will leave for the World Cup on 14th May, two weeks ahead of the competition, to begin their preparations. They are pooled in Group ‘D’ along with South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal. Their first game in the competition is against the Proteas on the 3rd June in New York.
Sri Lanka Squad:
Wanindu Hasaranga (Captain), Charith Asalanka (Vice-Captain), Kusal Mendis (Wicketkeeper), Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka
Travelling reserves:
Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage
Chasing the fourth playoffs spot, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) entered their match against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Eden Gardens hoping Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium. In that case, KKR would have needed to chase down their target in about 12 overs to pip Punjab Kings on net run rate and finish in the top four. But with Mumbai losing, both PBKS and KKR were knocked out, reducing this match to a dead rubber as early as the fourth over of the first innings.
In the end, KKR lost this game as well. After DC rode on KL Rahul’s 30-ball 60 to post 203 for 5, KKR were 126 for 3 after 13 overs. Kuldeep Yadav then dismissed Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh off successive deliveries to derail them. Eventually, KKR were all out for 163 in 18.4 overs.
After opting to bowl, KKR started with left-arm spinner Anukul Roy to left-hand batter Abishek Porel. After two dots, Porel picked up two successive fours to make it a ten-run over. Left-arm seamer Saurabh Dubey, though, was effective. Sharing the new ball, he found movement off the seam and also used the slower ball to good effect. He conceded only five runs from his two overs in the powerplay and had Porel caught behind. Porel was dropped by Tejasvi Dahiya off Kartik Tyagi off 18 but could add only four more to his tally.
In the last over of the powerplay, Sahil Parakh also got a reprieve. He was on 7 when he reversed-swept Sunil Narine towards cover-point where Rinku grassed the chance. Narine eventually had him caught at extra cover for 24 off 17.
Rahul showed his class once again, especially against Narine. In the eighth over, he stepped out twice in a row and hit him for a six and a four. In the spinner’s next over, he launched him over long-on from the crease for another six. In all, Rahul hit Narine for 21 off nine balls. He reached his fifty off 25 balls before dragging Roy to long-on.
After Rahul’s wicket, Axar Patel and David Miller kept DC going. They added 41 off just 25 balls before Axar holed out to long-on trying a third six off Varun Chakravarthy’s final over. He made 39 off 25 balls. Dubey conceded only eight in the 18th over but Miller spoiled his figures somewhat in the 20th by hitting him for two sixes. The seamer had the last laugh, though, as he had Miller caught at mid-off off a full toss. Dubey was denied a third wicket by Dahiya, who dropped Ashutosh Sharma off the final delivery of the innings. Ashutosh, once again, played a handy knock of 18 not out off 11.
Finn Allen opened his account with a first-ball four off Mitchell Starc. In the bowler’s next over, he hit him for a six and a four off successive balls. From the other end, Rahane smashed back-to-back sixes off Auqib Nabi to take KKR to 43 after four overs. Lungi Ngidi provided some relief when he had Allen chopping on in a four-run fifth over. With Axar conceding only eight in the sixth, KKR ended the powerplay on 55 for 1.
Just when it looked like KKR were falling behind the asking rate, Rahane and Manish Pandey combined to hit Axar for three sixes in a 21-run eighth over. But Ngidi struck once again – he dismissed Pandey for 25, courtesy an excellent diving catch by Starc at long-on. In the next over, Kuldeep had Cameron Green caught at long-off, leaving KKR 96 for 3 in the tenth over.
Rahane brought up his fifty, his second of the season, off 31 balls but Kuldeep had him and Rinku caught in the deep off successive deliveries to dent KKR’s chase. He missed the hat-trick only because Porel put down Dahiya behind the stumps. Dahiya couldn’t capitalise on the reprieve and fell to Axar soon after.
When substitute fielder Sameer Rizvi’s direct hit from long-off found Rovman Powell short at the non-striker’s end, the end was swift. There was no Narine with the bat, as Allen had replaced him as Impact Player during the first innings itself, and the lower order didn’t have the skills to deal with Starc and Ngidi. All told, KKR lost their last seven wickets for 37 runs.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 203 for 5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Porel 22, KL Rahul 60, Sahil Parakh 24, Axar Patel 39,David Miller 28, Ashutosh Sharma 18*; Anukul Roy 1-23, Saurabh Dubey 2-28, Sunil Narine 1-38, Varun Chakravarthy 1-35) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 163 in 18.4 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 63,Finn Allen 20, Manish Pandey 25, Rovman Powell 29; Mitchell Starc 2-26, Lungi Ngidi 3-27, Axar Patl 1-38, Kuldeep Yadav 3-29) by 40 runs
[Cricinfo]
Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Karnataka’s Luvnith Sisodia as a replacement for the injured Matheesha Pathirana ahead of their final round-robin clash of IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals. Pathirana has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring injury sustained during KKR’s win over Gujarat Titans last weekend.
Pathirana was one of KKR’s marquee signings at the player auction with the Knight Riders forking out INR 18 crore to avail his services. His arrival at the competition was delayed by a left calf injury sustained during Sri Lanka’s Super Eight finish at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, before he was cleared to join the team mid-April.
Having warmed the benches, Pathirana finally got into the XII against GT but bowled only 1.2 overs before going off the field with evident discomfort in his left hamstring.
Sisodia, a left-handed wicket-keeper batter who has played 15 T20s for Karnataka, is yet to play an IPL game. He has been part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and KKR in the past, having been signed by the latter at the 2025 mega auction. His addition bolsters the team’s wicket-keeping stocks after Angkrish Raghuvanshi was ruled out with a concussion and a finger fracture.
KKR will stay in the hunt for the playoffs if Rajasthan Royals lose to Mumbai Indians. They must however beat Delhi Capitals by a huge margin in order to then pip Punjab Kings to the Eliminator. (Cricbuzz)
National Seminary Philosophate emerged champions of the Oblate Heroes Basketball Tournament after producing an outstanding performance to defeat National Seminary Theologate in the final played at the Oblate Scholasticate Basketball Court on Sunday, May 17.
The champions and runners-up booked their places in the final after overcoming their respective opponents in the knockout stage of the tournament.
The Oblate Heroes Basketball Tournament, organized in memory of Rev. Fr. Fobes OMI, featured four teams representing Oblate Scholasticate, National Seminary Theologate, National Seminary Philosophate and CRS (Clerics Regular of Somasca).
Held at the Oblate Scholasticate Basketball Court, the tournament brought together seminarians and clergy in a spirit of sportsmanship and fellowship, with National Seminary Philosophate eventually emerging victorious to claim the championship title.
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