Sports

Time to go under the knife Lakmal

Published

4 years ago

2022/02/3

by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka ‘A’ tour of South Africa in 2008 was a resounding success and coach Chandika Hathurusinghe earmarked three players to have an impact with the senior side. Less than a year later, two of those players – Tharanga Paranavithana and Suranga Lakmal were taken to Pakistan on their maiden tour. Literally, it was a baptism of fire as the Sri Lankan team bus came under a terroist attack at Liberty roundabout in Lahore.

Both Paranavithana and Lakmal were badly hurt. Medical experts advised Lakmal to take a break from cricket to remove the splinters on his right arm from the gunfire. Lakmal asked how long he will be out of cricket. Doctors opined that he will be out for close to two years as it was a complicated surgery with splinters spread all around his leg. It was a killer blow as Lakmal had barely started his career. In desperation, Lakmal asked for a second opinion, he was told that he could continue playing cricket as the ‘foreign objects’ are not life threatening and that he could eventually go under the knife when he is done with cricket. Lakmal chose that path. And he was a sensation.

Lakmal has a few tricks up his sleeves. Over the years, he has given us a few surprises. Last night as sports reporters were quietly retiring to taste their arrack came the news that Lakmal is retiring from all forms of international cricket at the end of the upcoming tour of India later this month. And the good news is having waited for 13 long years, he will finally go under the knife.

Carrying ‘foreign objects’ in his body had many challenges. During Lakmal’s overseas travels he needed to take with him all sorts of medical reports as he faces numerous obstacles passing security. He can not go pass metal detectors as they warn of presence of ‘foreign objects’ in the body and security thoroughly check him. Being from rural Debarawewa in the Hambantota district, Lakmal is not the most fluent in English and often the team manager has to come to his rescue.

Lakmal has been a terrific servant of Sri Lankan cricket. His 168 Test wickets is the fourth highest among Sri Lankans and he is the second most successful fast bowler produced by the nation.

A son of a farmer, Lakmal came to Colombo to try his luck in cricket. He was fortunate to meet President’s Counsel Dinal Philips, who was a father figure to him and he looked into every need of the youngster. Soon as Lakmal cemented his place in the side following the retirement of Chaminda Vaas money and fame followed him. It was thanks to Philips that he didn’t go out of track. Temptations for a youngster coming from a rural village to go astray in the city are many. Lakmal firmly focused on his cricket.

Lakmal has been a loyal servant of Sri Lankan cricket. He’s been an absolute team player and hugely popular among the playing group. His biggest achievement in the sport came at Kensington Oval in 2018 when he skippered Sri Lanka to a thrilling four wicket win. He is the only captain from Asia to have won a Test match in Barbados, the fortress of West Indies cricket.

The only blemish in Lakmal’s career remains his involvement in card games in Galle as Sri Lanka were slipping to a painful defeat against England last year. It was a rare moment of indiscretion. Overall, he has been a terrific bloke, champion bowler, inspirational captain and above all a good human being.

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Latest News

Sri Lanka name Kusal Mendis as ODI and T20I captain for West Indies tour

Published

1 hour ago

2026/05/25

Priyan

Kusal Mendis is the new captain in ODIs and T20Is (cricinfo)

The Sri Lanka Cricket selection panel has handed the white-ball captaincy to Kusal Mendis for the upcoming all-format tour of the West Indies next month. Dhananjay de Silva will continue to lead the side in the two Tests.

Kusal Mendis takes over the ODI captaincy from Charith Asalanka, who was named in the 16-man squad, while Kamindu Mendis was named vice-captain. In T20Is, Kusal Mendis takes over the leadership from Dasun Shanaka, who led the side until the recent T20 World Cup, where Sri Lanka failed to make the knockouts. While Shanaka retained his place in the 16-man T20I squad, Asalanka did not.

Wanidu Hasaranga is set to return to action – named in the ODI and T20I squads – after his injury during the T20 World Cup has kept him off the field since early February. He tore his left hamstring at the time and missed the ongoing IPL after that for Lucknow Super Giants.

The tour starts with three ODIs from June 3 to 8 followed by the three T20Is on June 11, 13 and 14. The two Tests will be played at the Viv Richards Stadium in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.

Sri Lanka Test squad:

Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Isitha Wijesundara, Kasun Rajitha

Sri Lanka ODI squad:

Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Milan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan

Sri Lanka T20I squad:

Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Lasith Croospulle, Dasun Shanaka, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara

(Cricinfo)

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Kuldeep and Rahul help Delhi Capitals sign off with big win

Published

15 hours ago

2026/05/25

Priyan

KL Rahul ended his IPL 2026 with a solid fifty [Cricinfo]

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]

Sports

KKR replace Matheesha Pathirana with Luvnith Sisodia

Published

18 hours ago

2026/05/25

Thilina Walpola

Pathirana sustained a hamstring injury during KKR's win over Gujarat Titans last weekend. (BCCI/IPL)

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)‎