Sports
Tillakaratne backs Bangladesh to make an impression in Sri Lanka
Hashan Tillakaratne, Bangladesh women’s head coach, feels that playing two-day cricket will help his charges prepare well for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. BCB recently launched the Bangladesh Cricket League, women’s two-day cricket tournament, with the leading cricketers of the country divided into three teams in Khulna.
Following the tournament, Bangladesh began their week long training camp at Khulna’s Sheikh Abu Naser Cricket Stadium on Monday (April 10) ahead of the series against Sri Lanka at their own den.
Tillakaratne, who joined the women’s team in October last year, watched the players from close quarters during the tournament in order to acquire more knowledge on their strengths and weaknesses.
“The preparation has been really good. I think two-day games will definitely help them to improve their game. After playing two-day game they have learnt so many things so I’m sure the preparation is very good and they will do well in Sri Lanka,” Tillakaratne told Cricbuzz.
“I think BCB has taken a very good initiative to introduce two-day cricket to the Bangladesh women’s team. I am sure they will use this platform to achieve many things in years to come,” he said.
The former Sri Lankan batsman added that he is quite impressed with the fitness of the women cricketers in the longer-version considering the fact it was their maiden journey in red ball cricket. He also added that opener Murshida Khatun, who scored a century in the tournament, will be much better placed as far as understanding her game is concerned following her long stay at the wicket.
“Of course they’re fit enough (to play longer-version cricket) because they’re checking their fitness regularly and most of the girls do pretty well in their YOYO test,” said Tillakaratne.
Tillakaratne did not have a good outing so far in the Bangladesh dressing room as they hardly managed to make an impression in the T20 World Cup and in the New Zealand tour. They lost the three-match T20I series by a clear margin while New Zealand also won the ODI series 1-0 after the final two games were abandoned.
Following the series, Bangladesh went to South Africa to play in the World Cup and lost all four games in the ICC global event, though Tillakaratne feels that their performance does not reflect their real standard.
“Yes true, we failed in the World Cup unfortunately but there’s so many positives in our game right now and the girls have learned a lot from those games,” he said adding that playing in the sub continent certainly makes them more confident against Sri Lanka.
“As we’re going to play in subcontinent wickets it will help us and it will be a challenging and competitive series. If we can utilize our potential and skills then we can beat them. Of course we have plans against them but I don’t think it’s the right time to discuss all my plans. Girls are prepared for the challenge. I’m sure they will turn the tables on them and I’ve a lot of confidence in them.”
Tillakaratne added that if right-arm pacer Marufa Akhter learns to swing both ways she will be one of the lynch-pins in the side going ahead. “Marufa is another young prospect in Bangladesh cricket and I think her performances during the T20 world cup were very amazing and everyone talks about her performances. I think she will bring so many good things in years to come,” he said.
“Yes, she has a very good in swinger and I believe she will develop a good out swinger also in time to come. But right now we are concentrating on what she can do. She is young and she is learning right now. We don’t want to put undue pressure on her now as she is enjoying her game. So in years to come she will develop so many things.”
The first ODI against Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held on April 29 whereas the next two games will be played respectively on May 2 and 4. The three T20Is are scheduled on May 9,11 and 12. The ODI series will be part of the ICC Women’s Championship.
No Riyan Parag? No Ravindra Jadeja? No fast start for Vaibhav Sooriyavanshi? No problem for Rajasthan Royals (RR) as they hunted down 221 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and moved up to No.4 on the points table. If RR also win their final league game against Mumbai Indians on Sunday, they will firm up their playoffs spot, irrespective of other results.
In RR’s chase of 221, Sooryavanshi got off to an unusually slow start – he was on 11 off 12 balls at one point. After watching his opening partner and RR stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal dominate the powerplay, Sooryavanshi cranked up to top gear when he lined up left-arm seamer Akash Singh for two sixes and three fours in the ninth over. He then went on a more familiar six-hitting spree and by the time he was dismissed for 93 off 38 balls in the 14th over, he extended his sixes tally in IPL 2026 to 53. Only Chris Gayle has smashed more sixes in an IPL season, back in 2012 when Sooryavanshi was a year old.
Dhruv Jurel sealed the chase for RR with a calm fifty in the company of Donnovan Ferreira.
Jofra Archer ran in hard and hit the Jaipur deck harder, but even his extreme pace and bounce wasn’t going to bother Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, the Western Australia boys. In the first over, Marsh advanced down the track, manufactured swinging room and flayed Archer for a four and a six over the covers.
Inglis was more fluent square of the wicket or behind square. He scooped Archer over short fine leg for four in the third over and by the end of the powerplay, LSG racked up 83 for 0. Four of LSG’s top-five powerplay scores in the IPL have come in this season. RR’s attack, meanwhile, went wicketless in the powerplay for a fourth successive game.
Wristspinner Yash Raj Punja bowled the first boundary-less over in the first innings. In the 13th over, he conceded only seven runs to go with the wicket of Nicholas Pooran (16). That over triggered a passage of play where LSG went 22 without a boundary. Earlier, he had stopped LSG’s opening stand at 109 in the ninth over when he tossed up a wrong’un on an in-between length and bowled Inglis for 60 off 29 balls. Punja returned figures of 4-0-35-2, demonstrating why RR trusted him and promoted him into their main squad after he was a net bowler with the side in the previous season.
Marsh brought up his fifty off 25 balls, but could manage only 43 off his last 32 balls on the day. The lack of pace from Punja, Sandeep Sharma and Dasun Shanaka slowed him down. “To be honest, felt like torture out there,” Marsh summed up the back-end of his innings. He suggested that he may have left a few boundaries out there.
Marsh, Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni all departed in the final over of the innings, bowled by Archer, which cost RR only five runs.
RR came out swinging in the powerplay in the chase, but it was Jaiswal, and not Sooryavanshi, who was doing most of the swinging during that phase. He was responsible for 39 of the 71 runs RR scored in the powerplay. Jaiswal latched onto anything that was remotely wide of off. His four fours off Akash in a 23-run first over, bowled by Akash, set the tone for the chase.
By the end of the powerplay, Sooryavanshi was on 25 off 16 balls, which was measured by his standards. All of 15, he had the maturity that he could catch up on a pitch where the ball came onto the bat nicely. He reached his half-century off 23 balls with a reverse-sweep and threatened to convert it into a century until Mohsin Khan stopped him. He finished with a strike rate of almost 245.
Prince Yadav, who had earned a call-up to India’s ODI squad earlier in the day, was pumped for back-to-back sixes. The other Yadav – Mayank – wasn’t spared either, with the teenage phenom launching him for back-to-back sixes in the next over.
Sooryavanshi holed out while attempting his 11th six, but by then he had snatched the Orange Cap from Marsh. Jurel then anchored the chase while Ferreira applied the finishing touches.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 225 for 3 in 19.1 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 43, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 93, Dhruv Jurel 53*, Donovan Fereira 16*; Akash Singh 1-54, Mohsin Khan 1-31) beat Lucknow Super Giants 220 for 5 in 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 96, Josh Inglis 60, Nicholas Pooran 16, Rishabh Pant 35; Jofra Archer 1-39, Yash Raj Punja 2-35) by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
The Sri Lanka women’s volleyball team, powered by Dialog Axiata is set to depart the country today to compete in the 2026 Central Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship, which will be held from 22 to 29 May with the participation of eight nations from across the region.
The tournament will be played in two preliminary groups, with the Sri Lankan side, captained by Ashani Chamodika, drawn in Group ‘B’ alongside Kazakhstan, Iran and Bangladesh. Group ‘A’ will feature India, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives and hosts Nepal.
Sri Lanka Head Coach Amila Wijepala believes the team is well prepared to face the challenge despite being drawn in a highly competitive group.
“Our group is comparatively more challenging than Group ‘A’. Kazakhstan recently secured third place at the Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship after defeating China, making them our toughest challenge. We are confident of overcoming Bangladesh, while I also believe our players possess the ability to defeat Iran. Our objective is to win at least two matches and qualify for the semi-finals,” he said.
Vice President of the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, Mahinda Bandara, expressed confidence in the squad and praised the players for their commitment during the preparation period.
“We are fielding a very strong side for this tournament. The players have undergone close to two months of residential training at the Watupitiwala Indoor Stadium. We are grateful to the Ministry of Sports for its invaluable assistance in facilitating this tour. We also sincerely appreciate the continued sponsorship and commitment shown by Dialog Axiata towards Sri Lanka’s national sport and this international campaign,” he said.
The Sri Lanka squad for the Central Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship includes high-ball hitters Dilukshi Harshani, Nimeshika Sewwandi, Preethika Pramodani, Timi Mary, Arana Sanjeewani and Shalu Thilakshana. Short-ball hitters are Sanjeewani Karunaratne, Dilki Nethsara, Sesandi Ruwanya and Piumi Bhashini.
Naduni Nimansala and Kavindi Asanthika will serve as liberos, while captain Ashani Chamodika and Dilki Charuka have been named as setters.
The support staff includes Head Coach Amila Wijepala, Assistant Coach Udaya Rukmal, Trainer Upendra Perera, Women’s Team Officer Renuka Nilmini and Team Manager Mahesh Kariyawasam.
15TH STAFFORD MOTORS – MCA G DIVISION T20 LEAGUE CRICKET TOURNAMENT
Dayan Indunil starred with both bat and ball [86 off 48 balls and 4-10 in 4 overs] to power Brandix Apparel to a 70 run win over Stafford Motors at the Nalanda College grounds on Sunday [17] and qualify for the final of the Stafford Motors sponsored MCA G division T20 cricket tournament.
Invited to bat first on a cloudy day, Brandix were 108/1 at the halfway stage of their innings but were unable to keep up the run rate after the fall of the second wicket and were bowled out for 151. Chasing 152 to qualify for the final, Stafford Motors fell victim to the Brandix bowlers led by Dayan Indunil and Sampath Jayalath and were bowled out for 81 runs in 14.3 overs.
Brandix will meet Maliban Biscuits ‘B’ at the MCA ground next Sunday for the final.
Brief scores:
Brandix Apparel
151/10 in 19.1 overs [Dayan Indunil 86, Sampath Jayalath 14, Sasitha Ashan 13; Janith Maduwantha 3-29, Shanaka Sampath 2-25, Vihanga Malith 1-36, Sanjaya Fernando 1-17, Asanka Kumarage 3-20]
Stafford Motors
81/10 in 14.3 overs [Gajindu Yasas 24, Vihanga Malith 10, Vishwa Rajapaksha 27; Janaka Weerapokuna 1-20, Dayan Indunil 4-10, Sampath Jayalath 3-18, Akila Dhanuddara 2-14]
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