Sports

Chandraguptha in the running for a Test spot

Published

10 months ago

2025/03/16

Ron Chandraguptha was unstoppable in the First-Class final, delivering a match-defining knock that secured Bloomfield’s first title in 15 years. A strong showing in the NSL could now earn him a Test cap

by Rex Clementine

We have just witnessed a fiercely contested First-Class season culminate in Bloomfield being crowned champions – a long-awaited triumph after 15 years in the wilderness. The tournament had all the hallmarks of a riveting contest, but as the dust settles, a significant shake-up has taken center stage.

In a bold yet ruthless move, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wielded the axe to trim down the number of First-Class teams, aiming to restore quality over quantity. The biggest casualty? The country’s premier cricket club, SSC, found itself unceremoniously relegated, a decision that sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity. Joining them in the drop zone were Ragama CC, Negombo CC, and Kandy Customs. With two more teams set to face the chop next season, the club circuit will be streamlined to just 12 teams, a significant reduction from the previous 26-team structure.

Kudos to SLC for finally making the tough call. Over the years, the First-Class tournament had been diluted beyond recognition, with too many teams and not enough competitive edge. Now, with a leaner and meaner structure, the domestic circuit is expected to regain its sharpness. The top performers from the club season will graduate to the NSL, Sri Lanka’s highly competitive provincial tournament, which carries First-Class status. Selection for the Test team will now be heavily influenced by performances in this high-intensity arena.

With Sri Lanka enduring a rough patch in Test cricket – losing four consecutive matches (two against South Africa and two against Australia) – some inevitable changes are on the horizon. The biggest talking point? The vacant opener’s slot, left behind by the departure of Dimuth Karunaratne.

The race to fill that void is heating up, and two prolific openers have thrown their hats into the ring with impressive returns in the club season. NCC’s Lahiru Udara finished as the leading run-getter, amassing 787 runs at 56, while Bloomfield’s Ron Chandraguptha wasn’t far behind with 729 runs at 48.

Until the First-Class final, Udara seemed to be the front-runner. The 31-year-old has been a consistent performer and has already been around the national squad as a backup opener. But in cricket, big games often redefine narratives, and Chandraguptha seized his moment with a performance that turned the final on its head.

Heading into the summit clash, NCC were overwhelming favourites. With half a dozen Sri Lanka internationals in their ranks, they had the firepower to dictate terms. But one man – Ron Kashyapa Chandraguptha – rewrote the script.

Batting against the odds, he produced a monumental innings, a knock for the ages that swung the pendulum Bloomfield’s way. In scorching Colombo heat, he displayed unwavering concentration, unbreakable patience, and sheer resilience, grinding it out for two full days at the crease. His maiden double century not only batted NCC out of the contest but also catapulted his name into the national selection debate.

What was once a one-horse race for the Test opener’s slot is now a two-way contest. Udara had the early momentum, but Chandraguptha has forced selectors into a rethink. With the NSL tournament in progress, whoever performs better in the next few weeks will likely get the selector’s nod.

While the opener’s position is in focus, another name is knocking on the door for a middle-order berth – Pasindu Sooriyabandara. The 25-year-old Royalist has built an impressive First-Class record, averaging 56 after 50 games. This season, he was instrumental in Moors SC’s campaign, racking up 620 runs at a staggering average of 88.

A player with sound temperament and a wide range of strokes, Sooriyabandara appears ready for the next step. With Sri Lanka struggling for consistency in Test cricket, his introduction into the national setup seems more a matter of when rather than if.

With Sri Lanka’s Test team in transition, the NSL will be a defining tournament. Players like Udara, Chandraguptha, and Sooriyabandara have put themselves in contention, but the final decision rests in how they handle the next big challenge.

One thing is certain—domestic cricket has regained its competitive edge. With fewer teams, higher stakes, and players stepping up on the big occasions, Sri Lanka’s red-ball future may just be heading in the right direction.

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Sports

Red-hot Royal Challengers Bengaluru stay perfect ain 20nd march into playoffs

Published

8 hours ago

2026/01/20

Priyan

Gautami Naik blazed 73 off 55 deliveries ( BCCI)

Gauttami Naiks’s 73 and a combined effort from their bowlers powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a comprehensive win against Gujarat Giants sealing their playoffs spot in WPL 2026. RCB maintained their perfect record in the tournament, winning five games in a row to become only the second team after the Mumbai Indians in 2023 to achieve this feat; they also posted their biggest win by runs (61) in the tournament.

Playing the first match of the season at the Kotambi Stadium ing Vadodara, RCB recovered from 9 for 2 to post 178 for 6 thanks to Naik’s half-century and handy contributions from Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav. In return, Giants could only make 117 for 8, losing their second match in a row to RCB.

It wasn’t an easy start for RCB. Renuka Singh struck with the final ball of the opening over, dismissing Grace Harris, who chipped a simple catch to mid-on. Georgia Voll, who made her RCB debut in the previous game and made a fifty, followed soon after, attempting a cut and losing her stumps.

Giants captain Ash Gardner brought herself on, eyeing a favourable match-up against Smriti Mandhana, but Mandhana countered her with a couple of boundaries. Naik at the other end took some time to get going. Her first boundary came off a drive, before a pick-up shot over deep square leg signalled her intent. But even after that, she was moving at just under run a ball. With the duo slowly rebuilding, they brought up their fifty-run stand at the end of the eighth over.

But Gardner returned in the ninth and showed why she dominated the match-up against Mandhana, removing her for the fourth time in the WPL in eight innings.

With Naik getting on with the rebuild, she also found the gaps occasionally. She got to her fifty off 42 balls as she became the first uncapped Indian player in the WPL to hit a half-century, also surviving a dropped catch shortly after. Ghosh, meanwhile, upped the tempo, hitting three sixes in her 20-ball stay before she was caught at long-on off a full toss, which she reviewed for no-ball to no avail.

After a solid start with the ball, Giants let the momentum slip away, conceding 94 runs in the middle overs. They also went on to concede 40 runs off the last four, with Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil taking Gautam for four fours in the last over. Giants were also sloppy on the field and conceded 21 runs as extras on the day, the joint second-most by a team in the WPL.

If Lauren Bell doesn’t get you, Sayali Satghare will. Giants may have escaped the first over from the clinical Bell, but lost both openers cheaply in the second over to Satghare – Beth Mooney bowled for 3 and Sophie Devine holing out for a duck.

It was then Bell’s turn as she got one to swing back in to knock Kanika Ahuja’s stumps over, leaving Giants at 5 for 3 at that point. Anushka Sharma, who was returning from an injury, then timed a few boundaries to perfection but could not build on the start, slicing a Nadine de Klerk slower ball to Radha. Giants went on to lose their next two batters cheaply, reeling at 56 for 6.

Chasing 163 off the final six overs, the equation was steep, but Gardner found her rhythm after a stuttering start. She took Radha for three boundaries and launched a big six off Bell to raise a fighting half-century. Satghare, however, returned to end Gardner’s resistance and finish with three wickets, as Giants eventually slipped to a big defeat.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women 178 for 6 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 26, Gautami Naik 73, Rich Ghosh 27, Radha Yadav 17; Renuka Singj 1-27, Kashvee Gautam 2-38, Ashleigh Gardner 2-43, Sophie Dev8ne 1-25) beat Gujarat Giants Women 117 for 8 in 20 overs (Anushka Sharma 18, Ashleigh Gardner 54, Bharati Ful,ali 14, Tanuja Kanwar 11*; Lauren Bell 123, Sayal8 Satghare 3-21, Nadine de Klerk 2-17, Radha Yadav 1-34, Shreyanka Patil 1-19) by 61 runs

(Cricinfo)

Sports

Zadran, Rasooli power Afghanistan to commanding win over West Indies

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/20

Priyan

Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli were part of a 162-run partnership (ACB)

On Sunday, Afghanistan beat West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup in Windhoek. On Monday, the senior side followed suit, producing a similarly clinical performance against West Indies ahead of the T20 World Cup next month.

On a Dubai pitch that assisted the slower bowlers, Ibrahim Zadran’s unbeaten 87 off 56 balls and Darwish Rasooli’s 84 powered Afghanistan to an imposing 181 for 3. Zadran revealed at the innings break that the total was around 20 runs more than what the team had targeted after the powerplay.

The score proved more than sufficient as West Indies struggled for timing against Afghanistan’s spin attack. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad shared six wickets between them, squeezing the chase and ensuring a comfortable 38-run victory.

Afghanistan found themselves in early trouble after losing two wickets in quick succession. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was run out off the first ball, beaten by Gukesh Motie’s direct hit as he fell short of his ground at the non-striker’s end. Sediqullah Atal departed soon after, punching a short ball straight to Brandon King, who pulled off a superb one-handed catch at first slip.

When Rasooli joined Zadran, Afghanistan were 19 for 2. The pair, however, settled quickly and went blow for blow through the middle overs. Zadran brought up his fourth consecutive T20I half-century, scoring largely with a straight bat to anything full and on the stumps, and using the pace on the ball to swing cleanly through the line.

Rasooli, by contrast, was more industrious, favouring cross-batted strokes to keep the scoreboard moving. He took a particular liking to Khary Pierre, striking him for 4, 6 and 4 in the 15th over to swing momentum back Afghanistan’s way after the pair had gone 18 deliveries without a boundary.

The duo put up a 162-run partnership for the third wicket to lift Afghanistan to a competitive total.

The pair was helped by a sequence of eight balls that saw three drops in the outfield during the 18th and 19th over. Seales and Joseph both were employing slower balls and cutters to great effect, but luck was not on their side. First, Gudakesh Motie dropped a sitter at long-on off Rasooli; in the same over, Evin Lewis ran in from deep midwicket to drop Zadran. Soon after, Zadran was dropped once again by Hetmeyer at long-off.

By the time Rasooli had finally holed out going for a pull off the last ball of the innings, the pair had piled on their 162-run partnership in the space of 17.4 overs.

Mujeeb ur Rahman had already spun one through Brandon King’s bat and pad in the opening over of the chase, signaling how useful accurate spin would be on the surface. West Indies were 22 for 1 at the end of the fourth over, but threatened to break free when Ziaur Ahmed was introduced. Johnson Charles took 16 runs off his first four deliveries, making use of width as well as height to free his arms.

Off the fifth ball, Ziaur got the ball to rise at him off middle stump. The top-edge was skied to Dawish Rasooli. He would return in the 15th over, despite giving 23 off his first two overs, to take out Quentin Sampson (30) and kill the chase.

By the time he bowled the final over, West Indies had been reduced to 139 for 8. He trapped Khary Pierr lbw plumb in front of the wicket, and completed his spell with figures of 3 for 36.

The most impactful bowler of the night, however, was introduced right after the powerplay. With the field spread, Rashid opted for a tight line outside off. He had Shimron Hetmyer dismissed off a slog sweep. Rashid’s quick trajectory through the air ensured – with this ball, and the rest of his spell – that no one could get under him for the big hits.

Amir Jangoo fell victim to another sweep in his next over, the ball skidding through to hit his pads. He bowled 15 dots during his spell, giving away just 19 runs for his two wickets.

Twelve of those runs came off Sampson’s bat in the 14th over: a six straight over his head, then another one pulled over deep midwicket. It was the highlight of Sampson’s power-hitting on T20I debut.

By then, however, West Indies still needed 89 off the final six overs. They never got close, with Afghanistan cramping the batters by bowling on the stumps and taking pace off the ball. Once Sampson fell in the next over – leaving them on 95 for 6 – the lower-order was left with too much to do.

Bref scores:

Afghanistan 181 for 3 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 87*, Darwish Rasooli 84; Jayden Seales 1-30, Maththew Forde 1-51) beat West Indies 143 for 9 in 20 overs (Johnson Charles 27, Quintein Sampson 30, Maththew Forde 25, Gudakesh Motie 28; Mujeeb Ur- Rahman 2-29, Ziaur Rahman 3-36, Rashid Khan 2-19, Noor Ahmed 2-34) by 38 runs

(Cricinfo)

Latest News

U – 19 World Cup: Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 106 runs

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/20

Priyan

Vimath Dinsara played a captain's knock for Sri Lanka (Cricinfo)

In Windhoek, Sri Lanka strode to 267 for 5, with Vimath Dinsara hitting 95, and Chamika Heenatigala hitting 51. That pair put on a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but there had also been a solid contribution from Kavija Gamage, who made 49. Ireland seamer Oliver Riley who took 2 for 51, dismissing top-scorer Dinsara and also Viran Chamuditha, who had made 192 in the last match.

But Ireland were timid in response. Behind the required rate from early in the piece, they also lost frequent wickets. They were struggling at 66 for 2 in the 19th over, but were soon 96 for 6 in the 27th over, the match essentially having slipped away. They were eventually dismissed for 161 in the 41st over. The right-arm seamers did the damage for Sri Lanka, Rasith Nimsara taking 3 for 29, and Dulnith Sigera claiming 4 for 19.

This victory puts Sri Lanka at the top of Group A, with a Net Run Rate of 3.090 – the best in the tournament so far.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka Under 19s 267 for 5 in 50 overs (Vimath Dinsara 95, Kavija Gamage 49, Chamika Heenatigala 51*; Oliver Riley 2-51) beat Ireland Under 19s 161 in 40.1 overs (Callum Armstrong 39; Rasith Nimsara 3-29, Dulnith Sigera 4-19) by 106 runs

(Cricinfo)