Sports
New batting stars take guard as Sri Lankan cricket finds its pulse again
Kumar Sangakkara’s glittering Test résumé reads like a cricketing epic — 12,400 runs, 38 hundreds, and a career that spanned over a decade of dominance. Statistically, he towers over all who wore the lion on their chest. But ask any Sri Lankan cricketer who the finest willow-wielder was and chances are they’ll whisper a different name: Aravinda de Silva.
It might seem odd. Aravinda’s 6,361 runs and 20 hundreds pale in comparison to Sangakkara’s mountainous feats. But greatness, as they say, isn’t always measured in numbers.
Aravinda was Sri Lanka’s original master blaster — a swashbuckler with wrists of silk and a heart of steel. He played in a time when Sri Lanka were still finding their feet in the big league, mostly on foreign soil and often on treacherous wickets tailor-made for home seamers. He didn’t have the luxury of featherbeds at the SSC or Galle and between 1987 and 1992, owing to the war, international cricket deserted the island entirely.
Yet, Aravinda flourished in adversity. His 267 at Wellington in 1991, stitched in seam-friendly conditions against a hostile Kiwi attack, remains one of the greatest away innings by a Sri Lankan. And then there was that 167 at the Gabba in 1989 — a knock that made Allan Border sit up and say, “This kid’s got something special.”
He was unorthodox, unpredictable and utterly fearless. Facing the first ball of a Test from Kapil Dev or needing three for a hundred with Imran Khan roaring in — it didn’t matter. If it was in the arc, it was out of the park. He hooked, pulled and danced down the track with nonchalance. He even tweaked his grip mid-Test match, changing it between innings just to adapt to conditions — who does that?
Sangakkara, for all his elegance and hunger was a machine — ruthlessly efficient, clockwork in pursuit of success for the team. Aravinda was an artist, painting masterpieces that lived longer in memory than in the scorebook.
Since Sangakkara’s retirement in 2015, the Sri Lankan batting cupboard has looked bare. The occasional gem from Dinesh Chandimal or the promise of Kusal Mendis teased, but never quite delivered on consistency. That, however, is beginning to change.
Enter Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis — two young batters cut from very different cloths, yet stitching together Sri Lanka’s batting renaissance.
Pathum, with his silken drives and monk-like temperament, has become the anchor at the top. His 158 at SSC was a masterclass in restraint and timing. Fielders stationed at cover and extra cover? No problem. He threaded the needle with the precision of a surgeon. Kane Williamson would nod in approval.
Kamindu, on the other hand, is all swagger and self-belief. With the scoreboard ticking and Nahid Rana cranking up the pace past 140kmph, Kamindu rocked back and pulled with authority — three men in the deep be damned. It was Test cricket, but it looked like a net session.
Last year, Pathum helped Sri Lanka break a decade-long drought by guiding them to a Test win in England. Kamindu, not to be outdone, joined none other than Sir Donald Bradman as the second fastest to 1,000 Test runs in terms of innings — an elite club
While Pathum prefers to let his bat do the talking, Kamindu brings the theatre. His post-match pressers are as illuminating as his cover drives — dissecting the game with clarity and poise. You don’t need a crystal ball to see the captain-in-waiting.
The ICC rankings, too, are beginning to reflect their rise. Kamindu has already cracked the top ten among Test batters. Pathum isn’t far behind, having flirted with a double hundred in Galle and making his mark in the T20 rankings as well.Both are all-format players — a rare breed in modern cricket. And with the old guard having long walked into the sunset, it’s these two who now carry the weight of Sri Lanka’s hopes.
by Rex Clementine ✍️
Sri Lanka Cricket have strengthened their backroom staff ahead of the World Cup by roping in former India opener Vikram Rathour as Batting Coach, SLC sources told The Island.
The 56-year-old brings a weighty CV to the dressing room, having been part of the Indian coaching set-up that lifted the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2024. Rathour is currently serving as assistant coach of IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, but will join the Sri Lankan camp next week.
Rathour is expected to stay on through the six-match white-ball series against England at R. Premadasa Stadium and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, before overseeing the team’s final tune-up for the World Cup. With a proven track record and a reputation for technical clarity, SLC will be hoping he can help the batters find their range before the big dance.
SLC have steadily been bolstering their support staff. Power-hitting coach Julian Wood was hired last year and continues to work with both the men’s and women’s teams from the High Performance Centre.
Former India Fielding Coach R. Sridhar has also had a stint with Sri Lanka overseeing fielding standards and is currently in Dambulla working with the squad involved in the three-match T20I series against Pakistan.
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Adding further firepower to the coaching arsenal, Sri Lanka great Lasith Malinga has been drafted in as fast-bowling coach up to the World Cup.
Sri Lanka have been placed in Group B of the 20-nation tournament alongside Australia, Oman, Zimbabwe and Ireland. The former champions open their campaign on February 8 against Ireland and are expected to progress to the second round, with Australia the only side ranked above them in the group.
An 18-member squad has already been named for the ongoing Pakistan series, with the final 15-man World Cup squad expected to be announced shortly.
The Sri Lankan leg of the tournament will be staged at R. Premadasa Stadium, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, while India will host the bulk of the competition, including the semi-finals and final. However, should Pakistan advance to the knock-out stages, both their semi-final and final will be played in Colombo under the hybrid model.
There has also been speculation that Bangladesh’s World Cup fixtures could be shifted to Colombo amid ongoing political tensions with India.
Under 19 Cricket
St. Benedict’s pulled off an exciting three wickets victory over St. Aloysius’ as Mewan Dissanayake held the batting line up together with an unbeaten half century in the Under 19 Division I tier ‘B’ match at Karandeniya on Wednesday.
Bens beat St. Aloysius’ by three wickets at Karandeniya
Scores
St. Aloysius’ 167 all out in 54.5 overs
(Chanul Sanketh 23, Vinod Danushka 23, Sevitha Dumal 37, Dulsath Nimviru 29; Yohan Edirisinghe 2/18, Vihanga Rathnayake 3/24, Lithika Jayasundara 3/09) and 116 all out in 52.1 overs (Chanul Sanketh 44; Ayesh Gajanayake 3/27, Lithika Jayasundara 2/16, Mewan Dissanayake 3/30)
St. Benedict’s 144 for 5 overnight 167 all out in 45 overs
(Tehan Bitar 30, Vihanga Rathnayake 28, Sithum Hasaranga 36, Lithika Jayasundara 31; Chenul Nethmina 4/42, Hiviru Nimtharana 4/22) and 117 for 7 in 31.3 overs (Mewan Dissanayake 52n.o.; Hiviru Nimtharana 2/09, Oshadha Devinda 3/39)
First innings win for Thurstan at Thurstan ground
Scores
Thurstan 257 all out in 74.4 overs (Akhen de Alwis 25, Yohan Senanayake 34, Rison Jansen 20, Sethru Fernando 57, Rachintha de Silva 29, Udarsha Nimsara 23, Dewmika Hewapathirana 21; Minaga Ariyadasa 5/88, Thenusha Nimsara 2/92, Nethuja Bashitha 2/25) and 121 for 4 decl.in 30.3 overs (Yohan Senanayake 44, Rachintha de Silva 63n.o.)
Richmond 69 for 2 overnight 166 all out in 53.5 overs
(Chalindu Karunaratne 52, Ameesha Rasanjana 25; Yovun Silpa 3/46, Thanuga Palihawadana 4/44) and 68 for 3 in 25 overs (Ameesha Rasanjana 24n.o.; Thanuga Palihawadana 3/39)
Dialog Television announced that it has secured the exclusive media rights in Sri Lanka for all International Cricket Council (ICC) events from 2026 to 2028, alongside a free-to-air broadcast collaboration with TV Supreme.
This landmark agreement positions Dialog Television as the official Pay-TV broadcaster of ICC events in Sri Lanka, covering all major tournaments across Men’s, Women’s and Under-19 formats. The rights include the ICC Cricket World Cups and T20 World Cups for both Men and Women, the ICC World Test Championship Final, and other ICC-sanctioned international events during the 2026–2028 period.
Dialog Television also holds the exclusive OTT and mobile streaming rights for ICC events in Sri Lanka, enabling fans to follow the action across smartphones, tablets, and connected devices. Supported by Dialog’s high-speed mobile network and expanding 5G capabilities, this ensures a smooth, high-quality viewing experience, allowing fans to enjoy ICC matches seamlessly via the Dialog ViU+ app, wherever they choose to watch.
Complementing its Pay-TV coverage, Dialog Television has partnered with TV Supreme as the official free-to-air (FTA) broadcast partner in Sri Lanka, ensuring nationwide access to ICC events. TV Supreme is a fast-growing free-to-air television network with an established presence in cricket broadcasting.
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