Sports
World Cup preparations in mind for Sri Lanka in ODI leg
Rex Clementine
in Guwahati
Having come so close to winning their first-ever bilateral series in India during the T-20 leg, Sri Lanka will now focus on giving enough exposure to the younger players whom they want to bring to the World Cup later this year in India.
This series is not part of the ICC World Cup Super League so it is sensible in trying out players whom they want to bring for the sport’s showpiece event. Sri Lanka’s next series in New Zealand counts for World Cup qualification and two wins in three games should get them to qualify automatically.
Dasun Shanaka wouldn’t be worrying too much about qualifications had his team not gone down to Afghanistan last month in the first ODI and the second game was washed out. They had also lost a game at home to Zimbabwe early last year and all these failures could come back to haunt them.
Young all-rounder Dunith Wellalage could feature heavily during the ODIs having been overlooked for the T-20 games. The rookie turned 20 yesterday and he is one of the brightest prospects to come through the under-19 side.
Sadeera Samarawickrama is also back in the squad. He had a prolific LPL and was unlucky not to get a game during the T-20 series.
It also remains to be seen how the selectors will handle Nuwanidu Fernando, who has been a prolific run scorer in domestic cricket.
Kasun Rajitha is the leader of the attack and Lahiru Kumara could share the new ball with him having missed the T-20s. Kumara had an extended net session yesterday and his extra pace could trouble the batsmen.
There’s also Dilshan Madushanka, who bowled a couple of unplayable spells but was torn apart in the last T-20 by Suryakumar Yadav. He will be backed as third seamer.
India yesterday pulled out seamer Jasprit Bumrah having earlier been named in the squad. Indian selectors seem to be not convinced that he is a hundred percent fit having returned to the side after injury. He’s expected to feature in the bilateral series against New Zealand that begins after the Sri Lankan series.
Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul and captain Rohit Sharma too return to the side boosting the batting depth.
The teams will fly out to Calcutta for the second ODI and the last game will be played in Trivandrum on Sunday.
India (From):
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh.
Sri Lanka (From):
Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwanidu Fernando, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan and Lahiru Kumara.
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana, whose participation at the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship was in doubt due to an injury, proved his fitness for next week’s event with an impressive performance at the fitness test conducted in Colombo on Wednesday.
Dharshana completed 300 metres in a time of 33.41 seconds at the Sugathadasa Stadium to the satisfaction of track and field authorities.
Sri Lanka Athletics announced Dharshana’s effort as ‘successful’ after the 26-year-old completed the test. That will make him eligible for his pet event the 400 metres and the two relay events, the men’s 4×400 metres and the 4×400 metres mixed relay.
He had to prove his fitness for the event in South Korea following an injury he sustained at the recently held World Relays in China.
Dharshana was a key member of the team that established a new championship record in winning the men’s 4×400 metres relay at the last edition. He was also part of the team that won silver in the mixed relay.
The Asian Championship is vital for all track and field athletes as it opens a valuable opportunity to improve their world rankings and earn qualifying standards for the World Championships which will be held in Tokyo, Japan later this year.
by Reemus Fernando
Gateway College proudly celebrates the achievement of nine outstanding students who have been selected to represent Sri Lanka in three major sporting disciplines – football, squash and athletics. This remarkable milestone highlights the school’s commitment to holistic education, where excellence is pursued both inside and outside the classroom.
Gateway encourages every student to discover and nurture their talents with the support of expert coaches, modern facilities and a school culture that values discipline, passion, and perseverance. These international selections are a reflection of that vision in action.
In football, Gateway remains the only international school competing in Division 1 of the All-Island Schools’ Football League. Three talented players — Aidan Francis Perera, Nadal Aaron Senapala, and Anuk Shahil Dassanayake — have been chosen to represent Sri Lanka at the SAFF U19 Football Championship in India.
In squash, Gateway continues its proud tradition of producing national-level players. Five students have qualified to compete at the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in South Korea: Taveesha Goonasekera (Girls U13), Manuth Dassanayake and Dillon Perukanda (Boys U15), and Sithumli Mendis and Chanumi Thebuwanna (Girls U15).
On the track, Shanuka Costa flew the Sri Lankan flag at the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Saudi Arabia. He finished fourth in the Medley Relay and reached the semi-finals in the 400m — a performance that speaks volumes about his potential and dedication.
These young athletes are not only ambassadors of Gateway but also of Sri Lanka. Their achievements stand as a testament to what is possible when talent meets opportunity. Gateway College congratulates them all and wishes them continued success as they take their next steps on the global stage.
Sri Lanka A will travel to Australia for a multi-format series against Australia A in July, marking the return of first-class cricket to Darwin for the first time since 2006.
This series includes three 50-over matches and two four-day games, all to be played at the Marrara Cricket Ground and Marrara Stadium in Darwin.
All five matches will be streamed live on Kayo Sports and cricket.com.au, offering fans the chance to follow the action closely.
Peter Roach, CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling said:
“It’s fantastic to confirm a multi-format series which gives the next crop of emerging cricketers excellent development opportunities throughout the Australian winter.
“Darwin’s dry season weather between May and September offers both the Northern Territory and Australian Cricket an incredible winter opportunity which allows cricket to be played in Australia all-year round.
Hosting these matches, and especially a match at Marrara Stadium, gives significant status to the series ahead of the 2025-26 international season.
Schedule
July 4:
First 50-over Match (D/N)
July 6:
Second 50-over Match
July 9:
Third 50-over Match
July 13–16:
First Four-Day Match
July 20–23:
Second Four-Day Match
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