Sports
LPL growing bigger in stature
by Rex Clementine
One key reason for India’s recent cricketing glory is the IPL that was launched in 2008. It must be mentioned that Indian cricket officials weren’t all that fancy about T-20 cricket two decades ago. Test and ODI cricket were already bringing them much wealth and the game was thriving. A T-20 league was initiated by the Indian Board to counter the rival Indian Cricket League, which was a private venture. The sole purpose seemed to keep the leading players within the system rather than letting them venture out with a private entity. Basically, the IPL was an accident. Today it is a resounding success.
Since then, several boards initiated their own T-20 league. Australia had the Big Bash, England introduced The Hundred, West Indies launched the CPL while Pakistan came up with PSL. Sri Lanka Cricket faced many challenges when initiating their own league. The pandemic was at its height when Lanka Premier League was started and today it has gone on to become a successful competition bringing in revenue to the board and more importantly giving local players a platform to showcase their skills.
The opportunity for young players to learn by mixing with international stars likes Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatulah Omarzai and Tabraiz Shamsi to name just a few must be some experience. True, in India, they have the opportunity to mix with the likes of Jos Buttler, Glenn Maxwell, Kagiso Rabada, Kane Williamson and Pat Cummins, but at least our players have got some international exposure.
Then obviously, playing some of these last over tight finishes will prepare players to excel under pressure. Towards the back end of the league stage and during the play offs there were games that you couldn’t tell the outcome until the last over. Some of them ended up in Super Overs and all these will toughen up players as they have got a taste of playing under pressure.
Some teams will be kicking themselves. They had the game in the bag and one costly error turned things upside down. Dambulla Sixers were unfortunate to get knocked out. It was cruel as they were tied on points and were eliminated on Net Run Rate.
Likewise, in the eliminator, Colombo Strikers were cruising and one partnership between Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka denied them a crack at the final.
Kandy had a horrible start but gained momentum when it mattered. With so many match winners in their ranks they could go all the way. Galle Marvels are the overwhelming favourites though. They are a very clever organization and have been professional throughout since taking over the franchise this year.
For several players it was an opportunity to earn recalls to the senior side by excelling in LPL. Take for example Avishka Fernando. He has been a sensation scoring five half-centuries in nine innings. He was the leading run scorer with 363 runs prior to Saturday with an average of 45 and a strike rate of 167. Those number are far better than those of Alex Hales, Tim Seifert, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Andre Fletcher. Hopefully that form continues against India.
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) signing of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizure Rahman for the remainder of IPL 2025 has hit a snag, with the BCB stating that it hasn’t been approached for a no-objection certificate (NOC).
Usually, the IPL only announces signings after a player has received an NOC from his home board. According to its CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, the BCB had yet to receive a request for one.
“Mustafizur is supposed to go with the team to the UAE according to the schedule,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday. “We have not received any communication from IPL officials. I have also not received any such official communication from Mustafizur either.”
Mustafizur is part of the Bangladesh T20I squad that is due to play back-to-back away T20I series against UAE and Pakistan, both of which clash with the IPL. On Wednesday, hours after the IPL announced his signing as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mustafizur flew out to Dubai with the rest of Bangladesh’s squad.
Bangladesh are due to play two T20Is in the UAE on May 17 and 19, followed by five in Pakistan on May 25, 27 and 30, and June 1 and 3. Those two series are in conflict with the IPL; DC are set to play their last three league matches on May 18, 21 and 24, followed by the playoffs should they get there.
ESPNcricinfo has sought a response from DC on this development.
[Cricinfo]
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana who is undergoing treatments for an injury he sustained during the World Relays, is racing against time to recover for the Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in South Korea later this month.
The 400 metres specialist is one of the two sprinters slated to compete in the one lap race. He is also a key member of the men’s 4×400 metres and 4×400 metres mixed relays alongside Kalinga Kumarage.
“Currently Dharshana is undergoing treatments. We are hopeful that he will recover in time for the Asian Championships,” Dharshana’s coach Asanka Rajakaruna told ‘The Island’.
“Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a fitness test before the Asian Championships. Hopefully he will be ready by that time,” said Rajakaruna.
Sri Lanka Athletics earlier said that a fitness test will be held to assess the strength of the 20 strong team selected for the biennial event.
Sri Lanka fielded only a mixed relay team for the recently held World Relays in Guangzhou, China where an injury to Dharshana cost them a chance to achieve a top performance and a probable ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Sri Lanka won a historic gold medal in the men’s 4×400 metres at the last edition of the Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok Thailand where the team inclusive of Dharshana beat India to the second place with a new championship record time of 03:01.56 seconds.
Kalinga Kumarage who did the anchor leg and Dharshana are the only members from that gold winning team selected for the upcoming event.
Dharshana is the only Sri Lankan athlete to have clocked sub 45 seconds in the 400 metres after legendary Sugath Thilakaratne.
Dharshana and Kumarage hold the second and third places respectively in the list of fastest times achieved in the 400 metres by Sri Lankan athletes. Dharshana has a personal best of 44.99 seconds achieved during the last Olympic games.
by Reemus Fernando
110th Colombo Championships
Dinara de Silva bagged her second title of the Colombo Championships as she partnered Inuki Jayaweera to record straight sets victory in the women’s doubles final played at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Wednesday.
Dinara and Inuki beat Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 6-2, 6-3 in the doubles final.
Incidentally, it was the second title of the tournament for both Dinara and Inuki.
While Dinara won the women’s singles and doubles titles, Inuki was the winner of the mixed doubles and the women’s doubles.
Women’s doubles results
Semi-finals
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala 6-3, 6-2
Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi beat Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya 6-3, 6-0.
Quarter-finals
Venuli Jayasinghe and S. Usgodaarachchi beat Tuvini de Alwis and Hasali Gajaba 6-4, 5-7, 10-3.
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Nimasha Shehara and Arushi Thomas 6-1, 6-3.
Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala beat Diyansa de Silva and Lihini Jayakody 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya received a walkover from Gehansa Methnadi and Akeesha Silva.
Second lot of luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the Presidential Secretariat sold
President approves establishment of Anti-Corruption Investigation Units in Provincial Councils and LG Institutions
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