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Sri Lanka collapse again to hand India T-20 series

Published

2 years ago

2024/07/29

Priyan

Ravi Bishnoi claimed Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga with successive deliveries [Cricinfo]

REX CLEMENTINE at Pallekele

Sri Lanka seemed to have learned little from their humbling experience in the first T-20 International against India where their batting collapsed in a heap as the middle order again failed to cash in after an electric start from the top three in the second game at Pallekele on Sunday.

Rain gave India a revised target of 78 in eight overs and they reached there with nine deliveries to spare with eight wickets in hand. They clinched the series with a game to spare.

On a used wicket, after being put into bat, Sri Lanka were 130 for three and with five overs remaining were looking for setting at least a target of 180, but so dramatic was their collapse that they managed to post only 161. The hosts lost seven wickets for 31 runs in 30 deliveries. The previous game they had lost nine wickets for 30 runs,.

The collapse started when Kamindu Mendis took on Hardik Pandya but failed to clear Rinku Singh at mid-wicket. In the same over, Kusal Perera attempted the same shot and was caught by Rinku.

Kusal came back to form top scoring 53 in 34 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Then in the next over, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi picked up two wickets in two balls as Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga fell without scoring. Effectively, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for ten runs in the space of ten deliveries.

Shanaka has now picked up back-to-back ducks. Into the bargain he had a poor World Cup as well and his position at number six now has become untenable. Sri Lanka need to move on from Shanaka having depended on him too much.

Monday’s last T-20 International will be a dead rubber but Sri Lanka will be playing for pride. A couple of changes are expected for the game from Sri Lanka.

Scorecard

Sri Lanka innings

Pathum Nissanka lbw Bishnoi 32

Kusal Mendis c Bishnoi b Arshdeep 10

Kusal Perera c Rinku b Hardik 53

Kamindu Mendis c Rinku b Hardik 26

Charith Asalanka c Samson b Arshdeep 14

Dasun Shanaka b Bishnoi 0

Wanindu Hasaranga b Bishnoi 0

Ramesh Mendis st Pant b Axar 12

Maheesh Theekshana b Axar 2

Matheesha Pathirana not out 1

Extras: (lb 1, w 10) 11

Total: (for nine wickets) 161

Overs: 20

Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Kusal Mendis), 2-81 (Nissanka), 3-130 (Kamindu), 4-139 (Perera), 5-140 (Shanaka), 6-140 (Hasaranga), 7-151 (Asalanka).

Did not bat: Asitha Fernando.

Bowling: Mohammed Siraj 3-0-27-0 (w 1), Arshdeep Singh 3-0-24-2 (w 1), Axar Patel 4-0-30-2 (w 1), Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-26-3, Riyan Parag 4-0-30-0, Hardik Pandya 2-0-23-2 (w 7).

India innings

Yashasvi Jaiswal c Shanaka b Hasaranga 30

Sanju Samson b Theekshana 0

Suryakumar Yadav c Shanaka b Theekshana 26

Hardik Pandya not out 22

Rishabh not out 2

Extras: (lb 1) 1

Total: (for three wickets) 81

Overs: 6.3

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Samson), 2-51 (Suryakumar), 3-65 (Jaiswal).

Did not bat: Riyan Parag , Rinku Singh , Axar Patel , Arshdeep Singh , Ravi Bishnoi , Mohammed Siraj.

Bowling: Dasun Shanaka 1-0-12-0, Maheesh Theekshana 2-0-16-1, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-0-34-1, Matheesha Pathirana 1.3-0-18-1.

Result: India won by seven wickets. [DLS Method]

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Kuldip Yadav in for Khaleel; Gleeson for Thushara

Published

49 mins ago

2026/05/15

Priyan

Gleeson has previously played for CSK and MI [Cricbuzz]

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have each picked injury replacements for Khaleel Ahmed and Nuwan Thushara respectively.

Kuldip Yadav joins CSK as a replacement for Khaleel, who was ruled out of the tournament mid-April due to a quad injury. Kuldip joins them for INR 30 lakh. The 29-year-old medium pacer has previously featured for Rajasthan Royals, playing three games for them across 2021 and 2023. Those are the only T20s he has played so far.

Khaleel played five games for CSK this season, picking up two wickets, but got injured in a game against Kolkata Knight Riders, failing to bowl the last ball of his spell. CSK have endured a barrage of injuries this season, with Jamie Overton being the recent most victim.

RCB have replaced Nuwan Thushara, also out of the competition, with England seamer Richard Gleeson. He joins the defending champions for a fee of INR 1.6 crore.

Thushara, who played one game for RCB last year, did not feature in IPL 2026 before he was ruled out.

The 38-year-old Gleeson debuted for England in 2022, and played six T20Is for them, taking nine wickets. He has taken 170 wickets in 145 T20s, and also featured in two seasons of the IPL. In 2024, he turned out for CSK, taking one wicket in two games. Last year, he was with MI, picking one wicket in a solitary appearance.

[Cricbuzz]

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Eyman Fatima powers Pakistan to series victory

Published

55 mins ago

2026/05/15

Priyan

Eyman Fatima's innings included 10 fours and 4 sixes [Cricbuzz]

Pakistan clinched a comprehensive 67-run win over Zimbabwe in the 2nd T20I on Thursday to seal the three-match series 2-0. Opting to bat first, Pakistan were off to a slow start, managing just 34 runs in the Powerplay while losing the wicket of Gull Feroza.

They slipped into further trouble after two quick wickets reduced them to 46/3. A partnership worth 46 between Muneeba Ali and Eyman Fatima revived the innings before a defining 78-run partnership between Fatima and Natalia Pervaiz put Pakistan into the ascendancy.

While Muneeba’s 36 at the top of the order was crucial in arresting a potential collapse, Fatima’s unbeaten 79* ensured that they recovered to post a daunting 170/4 in their 20 overs. Pakistan were particularly stern on the bowling in the final five overs of their innings which yielded 58 runs.

In pursuit, Zimbabwe never got going. They were reduced to 29/3 inside the Powerplay before Nashra Sandhu struck twice in the same over. Another wicket in the 9th over left Zimbabwe reeling at 51/6. It was only thanks to a few inconsequential contributions down the order that Zimbabwe’s scorecard didn’t look any worse. They crawled past 100 and avoided getting all-out while falling 67-runs short.

Brief Scores:
Pakistan Women 170/4 in 20 overs (Eyman Fatima 79*, Muneeba Ali 36, Natalie Pervaiz 24; Mitchell Mavunga1-38, Precious Marange 1-33, Lindokuhle Mabhero 1-20) beat Zimbabwe Women 103/8 in 20 overs (Beloved Biza 11, Natasha Mtomba 10, Adel Zimunu 12, Nomvelo Sibanda 18*, Lindokuhle Mabhero 12, Kudzai Chigora 14*; Fatima Sana 1-22, Nashra Sandhu 2-18, Sadia Iqbal 1-10, Tuba Hassan 1-17, Ayesha Zafar 1-10, Natalie Pervaiz 1-09) by 67 runs.

[Cricbuzz]

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Britain’s Health Secretary Streeting resigns as pressure on Starmer grows

Published

10 hours ago

2026/05/15

Priyan

A combination of pictures showing Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting [Aljazeera]

Britain’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting has resigned from the ruling Labour government, deepening a crisis that threatens to topple Prime Minister Keir Starmer after less than two years in office.

Hours after Streeting’s announcement on Thursday, Labour lawmaker Josh Simons said he would resign from ⁠his seat in parliament in a move designed to give Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham a ⁠chance to return to parliament and challenge Starmer.

The prime minister is under growing pressure to step down following disastrous results in last week’s local elections.

Streeting posted on X on Thursday that he no longer had “confidence” in Starmer’s leadership, and there was “no doubt” that the party’s unpopularity was a “major and common factor in our defeat across England, Scotland and Wales”.

“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election, and that Labour MPs and Labour unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism,” the 43-year-old said.

“It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this.”

Streeting’s announcement fell short of triggering a formal leadership contest against Starmer, but piles pressure on the British leader, who has so far weathered a drip-feed of demands for his resignation.

Streeting did not say whether he had gained the support of 81 MPs needed to trigger a contest.

So far, four junior ministers have resigned, including Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, and more than 80 MPs have urged Starmer to quit or set out a roadmap for his departure.

However, no one has formally challenged the prime minister for his position.

[Aljazeera]