Latest News
Well-oiled Pakistan wary of buoyant Sri Lanka in tri-series final
After nearly 20 days of Sri Lanka appearing unimpressive in Rawalpindi, they are one win away from going home with a tri-series trophy when they face Pakistan in the final.
Sri Lanka were win-less in the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, and appeared on the brink of early elimination with a thrashing at Zimbabwe’s hands midway through the tri-series. But they roared back in their final two group games, first dispatching Zimbabwe by nine wickets before edgingPakistan out in Thursday’s thriller, They are, incredibly, just a repeat performance away from getting their hands on a trophy that will ensure they convert a possible debacle of a tour into an unmitigated success.
Pakistan will be wary of Sri Lanka peaking at the right time, but also assured they are favourites against an opposition they have had plenty of experience besting this month. It required a near-flawless performance from Sri Lanka to squeeze a narrow win on a clear off-day for the home side, whose bowling and top-order batting were well off the mark. In their current form, Pakistan will be aware that even a modest improvement on those two facets should be enough to see off their home season with more silverware in the bag.
It is, for Pakistan, the near-culmination of a season where they have played an inordinate amount of T20 cricket in a bid to be prepared for the 2026 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. In the six months between the end of the PSL 2025 and now, Pakistan have played 28 T20Is against nine different teams, with a better than 2:1 ratio of wins and losses. The strength – or lack thereof – of some of those teams remains a lingering question mark, but victory in their 29th game on Saturday should have them feeling they have largely controlled the one thing they could in this period – results.
For Sri Lanka, co-hosts of next year’s T20 World Cup, this is an opportunity to conclude a difficult second half of the year – home series loss to Bangladesh, two defeats in four against Zimbabwe, and a bottom-place finish at the Asia Cup Super Fours – with some success.
Mohammad Nawaz has contributed with either bat or ball in every game this tri-series, and was on the cusp of knocking Sri Lanka out of the tournament altogether in a late charge during Pakistan’s run chase on Wednesday. His tournament batting strike-rate of 162.50 is the highest, while his contributions with the ball, too, are second to none – the joint top wicket taker (7) in the tournament while his economy rate of 6.07 is the best (min. five overs). As an allrounder, Nawaz has become an integral member of the T20I side over the past few months, and one more performance will drive the point home.
It is invariably difficult to look past Dushmantha Chameera after one of the T20I bowling performances of the year kept his team alive in this series. Four wickets for 20, including three in two overs in the powerplay, combined with a yorker masterclass in the 20th over that kept Pakistan to just three runs, demonstrated just how high his ceiling is. It is a level he has found it difficult to sustain consistently, but the final comes just as his confidence is at a zenith.
Pakistan have chopped and changed their bowlers through the tournament. Expect Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed to return for the biggest game.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed
Sri Lanka have kept the same side for their last two games, and there is unlikely to be a reason to change a winning formula.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Pavan Ratnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga
[Cricinfo]
Latest News
Sun directly overhead Pesalai, Mankulam and Nedunkerny about 12:11 noon
On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 05th to 15th of April in this year.
The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (13th) are Pesalai, Mankulam and Nedunkerny about 12:11 noon.
Latest News
PNS TAIMUR & ASLAT arrive in Colombo
The Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) TAIMUR and ASLAT arrived at the Port of Colombo on a goodwill visit on 12 Apr 26.
The visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in
compliance with naval traditions.
The duo of ships is commanded by Captain NIAMAT SAEED KHAN (PNS TAIMUR) and Captain NADIR MATEEN AFRIDI (PNS ASLAT).
Meanwhile, the ships are expected to conduct a Bilateral Naval Exercise LION STAR V with the Sri Lanka Navy in Colombo seas.
Latest News
Sanju Samson and Jamie Overton deliver first points for Chennai Super Kings
Sanju Samson’s first century for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set up the team’s first win in IPL 2026 and their first win at home after six successive defeats, stretching back to the previous season.
Samson flew out of the blocks in the powerplay, scoring 45 of CSK’s 61 runs, in the first six overs. He had over 32,000 fans whistling at Chepauk when he reached his half-century off 26 balls. He had those fans whistling louder and chanting his name when he converted it into a 52-ball century.
A fifty from Ayush Mhatre, before he was retired out, and a cameo from Shivam Dube took CSK up to 212 for 2. That total, however, appeared smaller when DC’s openers Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul blazed past fifty in the fourth over of their chase. CSK then struck thrice in the next three overs to send the chase spiralling out of DC’s control.
Though Tristan Stubbs battled with 60 off 38 balls, the mounting asking rate was too much to overcome. Jamie Overton’s 4 for 18, which included the prized scalp of Stubbs, was central to CSK’s successful defence.
After CSK were asked to bat first, Samson scythed the second ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi for four. He never let his attacking intent or enterprise let up in the powerplay, crashing a total of nine fours in 19 balls in the powerplay. In stark contrast, Ruturaj Gaikwad managed to find the boundary just once in 17 balls during this phase.
Gaikwad’s first-15-ball strike rate of 104.54 in four innings this season is the lowest among 20 batters who have opened at least twice.
When Gaikwad was itching to break free after the powerplay, Axar Patel darted one into the red-soil pitch and cramped the batter on the pull, having him splice a catch to deep midwicket for 15 off 18 balls.
Lungi Ngidi’s slower ball, which he developed during his time at CSK under Dwayne Bravo, has made a number of batters look silly in this IPL and the T20 World Cup prior to it. But when Ngidi pulled out the variation for the first time on Saturday, Samson picked it, held his shape for long enough and flayed it away past sweeper cover. When Ngidi responded with an on-pace short ball outside off, Samson opened the face of the bat and dinked it between the keeper and short third for four more.
But it wasn’t until the 11th over that he hit a six, which was also CSK’s first six on the day. When T Natarajan missed a yorker and bowled a full-toss, Samson slugged him high and far over midwicket. In all, Samson took the left-arm seamer for 33 off 13 balls. It also included the edged four that brought him his hundred in the 18th over.
This was Samson’s fourth ton in the IPL. Only Virat Kohli (8), Jos Buttler (7), Chris Gayle (6) and KL Rahul (5) have hit more hundreds than Samson in the league. DC could’ve cut Samson’s knock short on 52 had Nissanka not dropped a catch at long-off.
Mhatre raised his fifty off 27 balls, but was retired out after he managed only eight off his last nine balls. Samson and Dube then combined to push CSK past 210.
The presence of three right-handers in DC’s top three encouraged CSK to bring in left-arm fingerspinner Akeal Hosein as their Impact Player. Hosein, though, showed signs of early nerves, bowling two front-foot no-balls in the first over of the chase. One of the resultant free hits was swiped over midwicket for four by Nissanka. Hosein ended up conceding 20 runs in his two powerplay overs and didn’t return to bowl.
Nissanka also lined up left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed for a pair of fours and a six in the second over. Rahul moved to 18 off 10 balls before Khaleel stopped him in his tracks with a short ball into the pitch. Despite that, DC scored 61 in their first five overs.
At the start of the final over of the powerplay, Anshul Kamboj had Nissanka glancing the ball to Khaleel at short fine leg, but he shelled the chance. It didn’t cost CSK anything as Kamboj had Nissanka chipping it to mid-on, where Dewald Brevis, who had recovered from a side injury, held onto the catch.
Left-arm quick Gurjapneet Singh then marked his IPL debut with a first-ball wicket. He darted one short and wide, having Axar slicing it to point, where Sarfaraz Khan dived to his right and plucked the ball out of thin air.
Overton then hit a hard length and had Sameer Rizvi holing out to deep midwicket for 6 off 19 balls. Overton kept hitting a hard length and made life harder for DC’s middle order.
Stubbs then mounted a late fightback with a half-century and narrowed the equation to 32 off 12 balls. Overton, though, cranked it up to nearly 145kph and had him splicing a catch to mid-off in the penultimate over. Kamboj then finished off DC in the final over, sending a packed weekend crowd into raptures.
Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 212 for 2 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 115*, Rutraj Gaikwad 15, Ayush Mhatre 59 retired out, S hivam Dube 20*; Axar Patel 1-39) beat Delhi Capitals 189 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 41, KL Rahul 18, David Miller 17, Tristan Stubbs 60, Ashutosh Sharma 19; Khaleel Ahmed 1-40, Jamie Overton 4-18, Gurjapneet Singh 1-39, Anshul Kamboj 3-35, Noor Ahmad 1-36) by 23 runs
[Cricinfo]
-
News6 days agoLankan-origin actress Subashini found dead in India
-
News4 days agoAG: Coal procurement full of irregularities
-
News1 day agoCEB orders temporary shutdown of large rooftop solar systems
-
Business3 days agoIsraeli attack on Lebanon triggers local stock market volatility
-
Business4 days agoHayleys Mobility introduces Premium OMODA C9 PHEV
-
Business3 days agoHNB Assurance marks 25 years with strategic transformation to ‘HNB Life’
-
News6 days agoUN Regional Director launches SL’s first Country Gender Equality Profile during official visit
-
Sports4 days agoDS to face St. Anthony’s in ‘Bridges of Brotherhood’ cricket encounter
