Author: WebDesk

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has provided an update on Dunith Wellalage’s availability for the Super Four stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. On the night when Sri Lanka played their final Group B match against Afghanistan, Wellalage’s father, Suranga Wellalage, passed away due to a heart attack. The tragic incident occurred while the match was still in progress. An emotional head coach of the Sri Lanka men’s team, Sanath Jayasuriya, was seen consoling the young all-rounder. After the match on Wednesday, Wellalage travelled back to Colombo with team manager Mahinda Halangode. There were questions regarding his availability, as he…

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav defended Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana after their off-day with the ball in the last Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025 against Oman in Abu Dhabi. India made two changes for their game against Oman, with Arshdeep and Harshit coming in place of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy. Playing their first game of the tournament, both pacers looked a bit wayward with their lines and leaked runs against a resilient Oman batting line-up. While Arshdeep conceded 37 runs in his four-over spell and took one wicket, Harshit returned figures of 1/25 in his three…

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu believes her team’s strong grasp of subcontinent conditions will give them a ‘secret advantage’ at the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, which is set to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka. The last time the 50-over World Cup was played in the subcontinent, Sri Lanka Women finished in fifth place – their highest-ever position at a World Cup. Five of their seven World Cup matches this year are scheduled to be played in Colombo, with the other two matches taking place in Guwahati and Navi Mumbai. Well-versed in the conditions, Athapaththu is confident…

Sri Lanka white-ball captain Charith Asalanka has lauded pacer Nuwan Thushara for his three-wicket burst with the new ball, which rattled Afghanistan’s top order and contributed to his team’s victory. After being asked to bowl first, Thushara took the new ball. In the third over, he claimed two wickets – first dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and then Karim Janat, who failed to justify his promotion up the batting order. Sediqullah Atal was bowled by Thushara in the fifth over, as he single-handedly dismantled Afghanistan’s top order. The right-arm pacer returned in the death for his last over and removed Rashid Khan…

Suranga Wellalage, the father of Sri Lankan all-rounder Dunith Wellalage, died on Thursday, 18 September, which was also the day Dunith took part in his first match of this year’s Asia Cup against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Wellalage has returned home and he was accompanied by team manager Mahinda Halangoda. According to sources, the 22-year-old took an early flight to Colombo to be with his grieving family. The tragic news reached Wellalage in the dressing room in Abu Dhabi shortly after Sri Lanka’s last group-stage match against Afghanistan, which they won. The team management received the news during the high-intensity…

Veteran New Zealand women’s batter Suzie Bates is banking on their pre-tournament preparations in Dubai to help the team adapt quickly to the challenging conditions expected at the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be played in India and Sri Lanka. After completing their training camp in Chennai, New Zealand arrived in Dubai earlier this week to prepare for the 50-over global event. To acclimatise to the hot and humid conditions of the subcontinent, the New Zealand players are putting in the hard work in Dubai, where the weather is extremely hot. Dubai is the same city where…

Pakistan T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha asserted that his team is prepared for any challenge after winning their final Group A fixture of the Asia Cup 2025 against the UAE. With the 47-run win in Dubai, Pakistan became the second team to qualify for the Super 4s after India. The Men in Green will be in action on eptember, when they take on arch-rivals India. Ahead of the high-octane match, Salman has instilled confidence in his team, saying they are capable of performing well against any opposition. “We are ready for any challenge. If we play good cricket, we can…

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has distanced himself from the on-field drama that unfolded at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium before the start of the match against the UAE, stating that the players were focused on the job at hand. There was uncertainty over whether the match would go ahead, due to the late arrival of the Pakistan team at the ground. Senior officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held a meeting in Lahore to decide the fate of the team amid rumours that the former Asia Cup champions might pull out of the tournament. However, the match eventually…

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan accepted his share of the blame for his side’s narrow defeat to Bangladesh in the Group B fixture of the ongoing Asia Cup at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 16 September. Rashid was batting on 14 when Afghanistan needed 31 runs from three overs. Karim Janat was dismissed off the first ball of the 18th over, leaving the Afghanistan skipper as the last recognised batter. In the penultimate over of the run chase, Mustafizur Rahman dismissed Rashid for 20 off 11 deliveries, bringing his team closer to the brink of victory. “We were…

All-rounder Michael Bracewell will lead the 14-member squad in the three-match T20I series against Australia, in the absence of regular skipper Mitchell Santner, who is sidelined following abdominal surgery. Returning to the side are pace duo Kyle Jamieson and Ben Sears. Kane Williamson, who recently signed a casual playing agreement with New Zealand Cricket, has made himself unavailable for the home series. Both Jamieson and Sears were not part of the New Zealand squad for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, which also featured South Africa. Jamieson missed the series after taking paternity leave for the birth of his first child, while…