Sports
Sri Lanka look to maintain winning run at home
Rex Clementine at Dambulla
Sri Lanka’s cricket team has been in top form throughout 2024, securing victories in 11 of their 14 bilateral series across all formats. They’ve particularly dominated on home turf, winning nine out of ten series. Captain Charith Asalanka expressed their commitment to sustaining this winning streak as they gear up for an upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand, beginning today.
The series against New Zealand will feature two T20 matches followed by three ODIs.
“We’ve been working hard to climb the rankings across all formats,” Asalanka said in a press briefing. “Our aim is to break into the top three, and consistent victories are the path to that. This is a new series; we need to leave recent successes behind and start fresh on Saturday “
However, rain looms as a potential disruption in Dambulla. Sri Lanka’s training session on Friday morning was canceled due to heavy rains, and New Zealand’s evening practice under lights seemed doubtful, with the pitch fully covered.
Sri Lanka’s success at home has largely relied on their spin attack, yet Asalanka acknowledged the possibility of adjusting their strategy if the rain continues. “The rain could influence our game plan,” he admitted. “Spin has been our strength, but with this weather, we may need to consider an additional seamer.”
New Zealand, meanwhile, suffered a 2-0 defeat in the Test series of their Sri Lankan tour last month. But they rebounded spectacularly by sweeping a historic three-match series in India, marking the first time India have faced a home whitewash.
Key players from that remarkable series—Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, and Tim Southee—have since returned home to prepare for their upcoming three-match Test series against England. Also absent is former captain Kane Williamson, who missed the India Tests due to injury.
Mitchell Santner will lead a refreshed New Zealand squad in the white-ball series. “With the busy schedule, some players opted to return home to focus on the England series,” Santner explained. “We have a lot of white-ball cricket coming up, so it is important that we give some of the new players in the squad a go,” Santner added.
Sri Lanka Squad:
Charith Asalanka (Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (Wicketkeeper), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Binura Fernando, and Asitha Fernando.
New Zealand Squad:
Mitchell Santner (Captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Mitchell Hay (Wicketkeeper), Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, and Will Young.
Umpires:
Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI) and Ravindra Wimalasiri (SRI)
TV Umpire:
Lyndon Hannibal (SRI)
Match Referee:
Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).
Virat Kohli has communicated his desire to retire from Test cricket to the BCCI ahead of the big five-match series in England starting June 20, for which he is expected to be a part of the squad. ESPNcricinfo understands that Kohli has been having these conversations with officials of the BCCI for the past month or so.
If Kohli doesn’t change his mind, he will bring the curtain down on a glorious career that has spanned 14 years and included 123 Tests – 68 of them as captain – in which he has 9230 runs at an average of 46.85.
But it hasn’t been a particularly fruitful time in the format for Kohli of late. When he scored 100 not out in the Perth Test in November 2024, it was his first century in Tests since July 2023 (against West Indies in Port of Spain), and his average, 55.10 at its peak after he scored his career best of 254 not out vs South Africa in Pune in 2019, has been 32.56 over the last 24 months.
(Cricinfo)
The remainder of PSL 2025 has been postponed indefinitely. The PCB cited the “worsening of the situation” at the Pakistan-India border as the reason, saying the board had acted on advice from the Pakistan prime minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The board said it had “sincere regard for the mental well-being of participating players and the sentiments of our foreign players, and we respect the concerns of their families who want to see them back home” and that was considered when making the decision.
The development came less than 24 hours after the PCB had announced that the remaining eight games of the PSL would be played in the UAE, without specifying the dates or the venues, with the expectation that it would take about a week to resume.
Overseas players as well as Pakistani players who currently hold visas to the UAE were scheduled to leave on Friday night, with the remaining visas being applied for over the weekend. That, however, has changed, and the teams have begun disbanding with immediate effect, with travel back home being arranged for foreign players.
There is no word yet on when, or if, the remaining games will be played. The postponement came hours after the IPL was temporarily suspended owing to the tensions between the two countries.
The PSL held an emergency meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, and involved the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi meeting with foreign players, who overwhelmingly expressed a desire to relocate the league to the UAE.
“The PCB recognises the efforts and support of its partners, franchises, participating players, broadcasters, sponsors, and organisers in having ensured the smooth conduct of the tournament thus far, however; cricket while being a unifying force and a source of joy, must take a respectful pause…” the PCB statement said.
[Cricinfo]
World Relays 2025
A ‘full strength Sri Lanka 4×400 metres mixed relay team’ will compete against formidable European powerhouses when they take part in the first heat of the relay on day one of the World Relays in Guangzhou, China on Saturday.
“We will field our best four for the heats,” said W.M.G. Thushara, the mamager cum coach of the Sri Lanka team in an interview with The Island after reaching Guangzhou yesterday.
There is one junior athlete in the six member team but Sri Lankan authorities have decided to field the full strength team in the heats.
“It will be Nadeesha Ramanayake, Nishendra Fernando, Kalinga Kumarage and Aruna Dharshana as we are planning to produce our best performace,” Thushara said.
Ramanayake, Kumarage and Dharshana were part of the team that established a new national record in the mixed relay at the Asian Athletics Championship in 2023. Only missing member from that team is Tharushi Karunaratne.
Sri Lanka team will compete in the first heat where Switzerland, France, Belgium, Germany and hosts China are the others. The first two from the heats will directly qualify for the World Relays and also the World Championships to be held in Tokyo.
Sri Lanka fielded only the mixed relay team for the World Relays despite the men’s 4×400 team qualifying for the event. The World Relays starting today is the main qualifying competition for relay events at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
by Reemus Fernando
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