Sports

T-20 becoming most popular brand of cricket

Published

4 years ago

2022/10/9

by Rex Clementine

Test cricket being the highest form of the game and a real test of character are all true no doubt but T-20 cricket has become the most popular format of the game for a variety of reasons. There’s more money being invested by sponsors for T-20 cricket as that’s where you see the younger generation getting involved. In a fast paced world, after five days of Test cricket, younger generations find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that games can still end in no results. They are more comfortable with the fact that three hours of T-20 entertainment gives them a result.

The eighth edition of the event is taking place in Australia for the first time and the Aussies are known to be fabulous hosts and put up grand shows. Their government is giving the fullest backing with visa fees and biometrics exempted for players, officials and even journalists. With some entertaining finishes and new heroes, this tournament is expected to take the popularity of T-20 cricket further.

There’s an increasing trend for teams to engage in more T-20 cricket than Test matches. For example, Pakistan and England recently played seven T-20 Internationals but there’s only room for three Tests. Australia and Sri Lanka have ended up playing eight T-20s this year alone but their Test series won’t stretch beyond two games.

It is true that the money is in T-20 cricket, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of Tests. In reality, the tendency to play fewer Tests has become the norm as most boards end up incurring huge costs playing Tests and they make little money.

Countries like Sri Lanka need to be aware of the dangers of playing fewer Test matches. England, Australia and even India will not cut down on the number of Tests they play a year as they can sustain it even when they don’t make profits. Sri Lanka’s red ball players were involved in a Test series in July this year and need to wait till march next year for their next series.

It has only taken two decades for T-20 cricket to expand beyond imagination. The financial riches T-20 cricket has brought in is such that Sri Lankan cricketers now can afford to buy acres of prime land. No not just around Colombo, but even in places like Melbourne and Manchester. Yes, that’s correct, acres of prime land. T-20 cricket was first introduced in England in 2003. Lord Ian MacLaurin, the boss of UK’s most successful supermarket chain Tesco was the head of England and Wales Cricket Board and he brought in much needed change for the game.

ECB Marketing Executive Stuart Robertson had been told to look into ways that would make cricket appealing to younger fans in Britain again. It had been observed that there was this notion that cricket was a sport for the wealthy. The sport was being played while most men and women in UK were at work.

Robertson noted that even in limited overs cricket, it took seven hours for a game to end. Furthermore, 50 overs cricket at that point was losing interest. The first 15 overs with field restrictions were on was exciting and then the last five with batters cashing in towards the end of the innings. Between overs 16 and 44 was considered as a boring phase of the game. So he decided to take off the period between overs 16 to 44 and condense it to a 20 over game hoping the excitement was there.Activities where children can come over and enjoy the game were introduced too like bouncy castles and swimming pools and the idea was immensely popular in England.

India brought into the argument reluctantly. Jagmohan Dalmiya, cricket’s most powerful man at that point walked into the Durban press box during the 2003 50 over World Cup semi-final and the British media told him about the success of T-20 cricket in UK and asked whether international cricket could accommodate another format. Dalmiya said that in his part of the world the game was thriving. His famous quote was, ‘when there’s a Test match in Calcutta, there are 100,000 people inside the ground and 100,000 people outside the ground.’

But all that changed four years later when India won the first T-20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007. BCCI hadn’t taken the tournament seriously and sent a second string team. But that team had a smart leader, a certain M.S. Dhoni. Once India won the title beating arch-rivals Pakistan, the interest for the new format went through the roof.

Cricket landscape was also changing in India at that point and more dynamic and young businessmen like Lalit Modi and N. Srinivasan were taking charge. They saw the huge potential a domestic T-20 tournament would have and the IPL was launched. Rest of the world followed suit with their own lucrative T-20 league and the rest as they say is history.

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Sports

Aahil advances to quarter-finals at SSC ITF Junior J30 Tournament

Published

47 mins ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Aahil Kaleel (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Sri Lanka’s Aahil Kaleel produced a commanding performance to book his place in the quarter-finals of the SSC ITF Junior J30 Circuit Week 2 tournament with an emphatic straight-set victory in the boys’ second-round encounter played at the SSC Courts.

‎Aahil outclassed Japan’s Shota Miyanota 6-0, 6-1 in a one-sided contest, displaying complete control throughout the match. The Sri Lankan youngster dominated from the outset, conceding just one game on his way to securing a comfortable victory and advancing to the last eight.

‎However, it was the end of the road for fellow Sri Lankan Ashling de Silva in the boys’ category. Ashling was beaten by Australia’s Chitroda Parth 6-0, 6-3 in the second round despite putting up a stronger challenge in the second set.

‎In the girls’ second-round matches, Sri Lanka’s Annaya Norbert also bowed out of the competition after suffering a 6-2, 6-4 defeat against India’s Deepti Venkatesan. Annaya fought hard in the second set but was unable to overturn the early advantage gained by her Indian opponent.

‎The ITF Junior J30 Circuit Week 2 tournament, currently underway at the SSC Courts, continues to provide valuable international exposure for Sri Lanka’s emerging tennis talent as they compete against players from across Asia and beyond.

Sports

A bright dawn in the Caribbean

Published

48 mins ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Kusal Mendis was named Man of the Match

Sri Lanka’s home record in ODI cricket in recent years has been impressive, but they have struggled to reproduce the same consistency overseas. This year presents ample opportunities to set the record straight, with three challenging away assignments lined up. In September, Sri Lanka travel to the United Kingdom for a six match white ball series before heading to India over Christmas for another six-game assignment.

They could not have asked for a better start to the first of those tours, overcoming the West Indies by 42 runs in the opening ODI in Jamaica. Many Sri Lankan fans burnt the midnight oil to follow the contest and were rewarded with a performance that ticked plenty of boxes.

In modern ODI cricket, a total in excess of 300 remains a formidable target, particularly when scoreboard pressure comes into play. Sri Lankan supporters will now hope the team can build on this momentum and emerge from the Caribbean with the series safely tucked away.

The stakes are high. Ten teams qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup. Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe have already secured their places, making the race for the remaining eight spots increasingly competitive. Sri Lanka currently occupy sixth place and remain comfortably inside the qualification zone. Between now and March next year, they simply need to keep their heads above water. England and India will provide sterner examinations later in the year, making a successful Caribbean campaign all the more important.

It is also the dawn of a new era. Kusal Mendis has begun his tenure as white ball captain while Gary Kirsten is embarking on his first assignment as head coach. Judging by the opening outing, both will be pleased with what they witnessed.

Mendis was undoubtedly the standout performer. Until his arrival at the crease, the West Indies fast bowlers had made scoring difficult, building pressure through a steady stream of dot balls. Mendis changed the complexion of the game almost immediately. He took calculated risks, disrupted the bowlers’ plans and refused to allow the spinners to settle into a rhythm. When he is in full flow, batting appears ridiculously simple. He deserved a hundred but his sparkling 72 off 62 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and four sixes, provided the impetus Sri Lanka needed.

Pathum Nissanka survived a scare when he was dropped off the very first ball of the innings. From there, however, he played the perfect anchor role, compiling a composed 79. Charith Asalanka and Janith Liyanage chipped in with valuable contributions in the forties as Sri Lanka surged beyond the 300 run mark.

The fielding, too, was sharp and energetic. Dushmantha Chameera did not enjoy much success with the new ball but returned at the death to make telling breakthroughs and help seal a comfortable victory.

The teams will remain in Jamaica, with Sabina Park hosting all six white ball fixtures of the tour. Thereafter, attention will shift to Antigua, where the two match Test series will bring the Caribbean adventure to a close.

Latest News

SLC name squads for Tri-Nation ‘A’ series and Four-Day series

Published

14 hours ago

2026/06/4

Priyan

The Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Panel has named the following squads for the upcoming Tri-Nation ‘A’ Series and the Four-Day Series.

The Tri-Nation One-Day Series, featuring Sri Lanka ‘A’, India ‘A’, and Afghanistan ‘A’, will be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS), Dambulla, commencing on 9 June 2026.

The Four-Day Series between Sri Lanka ‘A’ and India ‘A’ will be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium (GICS), Galle, with the first match scheduled to begin on 25 June 2026.