Sports
Chamodi selected in ICC U19 team of the tournament
Sri Lanka bowler Chamodi Praboda has secured a place in the team of the tournament at the conclusion of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 cricket world cup.
Praboda who took nine wickets, including three for 16 against India in the sole Sri Lanjan player in the team dominated by India, the winners of the championship.
Four India players had been selected in the Team of the Tournament after they beat South Africa to win the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025.
The team is spearheaded by Player of the Tournament Gongadi Trisha, who scored 309 runs at the top of the order, 133 more than anyone else. Trisha was named Player of the Match in the final after she took three for 15 with the ball, and then hit 44 not out as India sailed to a nine-wicket win.
She is joined in the team by fellow opener G Kamalini, who scored 143 tournament runs, and bowlers Aayushi Shukla and Vaishnavi Sharma.
Sharma took two South Africa wickets at Bayuemas Oval to finish the tournament with 17, the most of any player, while 17-year-old Shulka was second with 14.
South Africa, who failed to progress from the Super Six stage two years ago, have two players named in the XI. Kayla Reyneke is named team captain after taking 11 wickets, while Jemma Botha – who hit a crucial 37 off 24 balls in the semi-final against Australia – is chosen to open alongside Trisha. Fast bowler Nthabiseng Nini is selected as the 12th player.
England, who were beaten by India in the second semi-final, have two players selected in Davina Perrin – the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer with 176 – and wicket-keeper Katie Jones.
Australia’s Caoimhe Bray is at number five, with the middle-order is completed by Nepal’s skipper and all-rounder Puja Mahato, who scored 70 runs and took nine wickets – including four for nine against Malaysia.
The adjudication panel was comprised of commentators Julia Price, HD Ackerman, and Raunak Kapoor, and Snehal Pradhan – ICC Manager: Women’s Cricket.
ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 Team of the Tournament:
01 G Trisha (India)
02. Jemma Botha (South Africa)
03. Davina Perrin (England)
04. G Kamalini (India)
05. Caoimhe Bray (Australia)
06. Puja Mahato (Nepal)
07. Kayla Reyneke (c) (South Africa)
08. Katie Jones (wk) (England)
09. Aayushi Shukla (India)
10. Chamodi Praboda (Sri Lanka)
11. Vaishnavi Sharma (India)
12. Nthabiseng Nini (South Africa)
Sam Konstas’ Sri Lanka tour is officially over with the teenage star returning to Australia to play Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales.
Despite an impressive first two Tests, Konstas was replaced at the top of the batting order by the more experienced Travis Head in last week’s series opener in Galle.
With Head making a speedy half-century to set the tone for Australia’s big win, Konstas was set to miss selection again for the second match beginning Thursday.
Konstas trained with the team at their main session in Galle on Tuesday before packing his bags to fly back to Australia in the evening, Cricket Australia confirmed.
Australia selectors determined the 19-year-old would be better served lining up for NSW against Queensland on Saturday at the Gabba – a Test venue at which he has never played – than watching from the sidelines in Galle. The selectors value players getting experience at home Test venues. It was part of the reason Nathan McSweeney got the nod at the start of the Border-Gavaskar series, as Konstas has not played at either the Gabba or Adelaide Oval.
Australia will have adequate concussion substitutes in Konstas’ absence, with 15 remaining in the squad as well as development player Tanveer Sangha.
The tour was Konstas’ first with the Australian squad to the subcontinent, but he previously attended development camps in Chennai and Sri Lanka.
He may have an additional opportunity to hone his skills against spin with an Australia A tour of India in the works for later in 2025.
After his famous start to life as a Test player, the Sri Lanka tour may have shaped as underwhelming for Konstas, who missed selection and was then struck down by a stomach bug.
But Head said Konstas would have learnt from the touring experience.
“Sam’s a big part of where we’re going, there’s no doubt about it,” Head said. “Disappointed that he missed out on the first Test but great for him to be here, great for him to be experiencing conditions.”
Head expected Konstas would return to the top of the batting order when Australia travelled to England for the World Test Championship Final against South Africa in June.
“Most likely I’ll go back in the middle order and Sam will open,” Head said.
[Cricinfo]
Dimuth Karunaratne is set to retire from international cricket following the second Test against Australia in Galle. It will also be the former Sri Lanka captain’s 100th Test match. The 36-year-old has decided to step away from the game after a recent run of poor form with the bat at the top of the order. Karunaratne has scored only 182 runs in his last seven Test matches with a solitary half-century in September 2024 against New Zealand.
Karunaratne had made his Test debut on the same ground back in 2012 against New Zealand where he scored a duck and an unbeaten 60 in the same game, as Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets. Karunaratne has scored 7,172 runs across 99 Test matches with 16 Test hundreds so far to his name. He has a highest score of 244 against Bangladesh back in 2021. Despite being a stalwart for Sri Lanka in Test cricket, he also featured in 50 ODIs and 34 T20Is for the island nation with a lone ODI century in 2023 against Ireland.
Karunaratne has been one of the most consistent openers in Test cricket over the last decade. Having scored his maiden century against New Zealand in Christchurch in 2014, it was from 2015 that he started to consistently plunder the runs and become a permanent opener for Sri Lanka in Tests. He had scored 196 against Pakistan in a day-night Test in 2017, and in 2019 became captain of the Sri Lankan side. He captained his team to a Test series victory over South Africa (2-0) that same year, as Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to beat South Africa in a Test series in South Africa.
Due to his stellar performances with the bat, Karunaratne was also named thrice in the ICC Test Cricket Team of the Year in 2018, 2021 and 2023. (cricbuzz)
Under 19 Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
D. S. Senanayaka scored a first innings win over St. Benedict’s in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ relegation league match as Bihan Gamage produced a five wicket haul, his best figures this season to follow up his half century at DSS ground on Tuesday.
The first innings win will further cement DSS position as the top team in the four-team relegation league.
Maliyadewa and Richmond are the other two teams playing in this league. The last two teams at the end of this league will be demoted to Tier ‘B’.
Meanwhile Thurstan took first innings honours against Sri Sumangala Panadura in their match at Thurstan ground.
Chasing a target of 77 runs to win, they were 58 for seven wickets at close as Sadev Hettiarachchi grabbed five wickets.
Results
DSS on first innings win at DSS ground
Scores
DSS 314 all out in 83.2 overs
(Bihan Gamage 89, Maitha Perera 52, Sohan Yapa 74, Chanul Athale 50; Dinath Senila 2/51, Manikya Deshapriya 2/36, Mewan Dissanayake 2/59, Vihanga Rathnayake 3/57) and 138 for 4 in 35 overs (Bihan Gamage 35, Jaindu Ranasinghe 42n.o., Chaul Athale 41n.o.; Mewan Dissanayake 3/39)
St. Benedict’s 37 for 1 overnight 216 all out in 58 overs
(Didula Edirisuriya 20, Mewan Dissanayake 42, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 84, Samindu Peiris 33; Shanal Binuksha 3/44, Bihan Gamage 5/40) and 71 for 2 in 19 overs (Sharujan Shanmuganathan 32, Tehan Bitar 33n.o.)
Thurstan take first innings honours at Thurstan ground
Scores
Sri Sumangala 93 all out in 40.1 overs
(Akila Wedamulla 29; Yovun Silpa 2/21, Lasindu Punsara 2/19, Thanuga Palihawadana 4/23) and 193 all out in 64.3 overs (Sandeep Wijerathne 24, Neksha Iddamalgoda 28, Akila Wedamulla 20, Senira Wijegunasinghe 21, Mevindu Kumarasiri 45n.o.; Rachintha de Silva 2/19, Vihas Thewmika 2/48, Sethru Fernando 5/46)
Thurstan 210 all out in 60.3 overs
(Dinal Induwara 29, Thanuja Rajapakse 70, Palihawadana 24; Rusith Jayawardana 3/41, Mevindu Kumarasiri 4/71) and 58 for 7 in 18 overs (Vihas Thewmika 27; Sadew Hettiarachchi 5/31, Mevindu Kumarasiri 2/27)
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