SLC Invitational T20 League 2022, SLC Greys vs SLC Blues: Jayawickrama's 3-for mow down Greys
Prabath Jayasuriya tumbles records on his historic debut against Australia
SL vs AUS | Prabath Jayasuriya enlists himself in the top 5 of a unique list
SL vs AUS | Praveen Jayawickrama found Covid-19 positive ahead of second Test
The SLC released an official update in which they stated that Jayawickrama has returned positive for COVID-19 after going through the rounds of tests.
SL vs IND | 2nd T20I: Amid Covid scare, Sri Lanka look to square series as India struggles to field XI
A lot has changed since the first T20I in this three-match series with India's Krunal Pandya testing positive for Covid-19 and eight other Indian players, identified as close contacts of him being disallowed to take further part in the series even after testing negative for Covid-19 in the RT-PCR tests. With a comfortable win in the first T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka, the Indian team was looking to sweep the series in the second match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. However, this sudden development has now forced Indian management led by coach Rahul Dravid to look for XI players, especially batters to fill in the positions. The Lankans on the other hand would look to end their batting woes and with support from their bowlers, search for the victory which would keep the series alive for them. Forced changes for Team India The confirmation from BCCI regarding eight players being in close contact with the senior Pandya means that India would have to field an almost different XI in the second T20I from the one that played in the first game. What's more painful is the fact that reports suggest Hardik Pandya, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan could be the four with the other two prominent names being Devdutt Padikkal and Krishnappa Gowtham. There is no clarity about other two names, however, these six were the players who would have defiantly been a part of the XI in the second T20I even if only Krunal had gotten out due to Covid. Now with so many changes to make and so few options available, Dravid has no other options but to field a compromised XI with hardly any batting depth. However, in contrast, this also presents an opportunity to players such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Chahar and Nitish Rana, along with Manish Pandey who were waiting for opportunities to prove their mettle. SriLanka need to bat better to win The target of 165 wasn’t a daunting one and the Indian bowlers weren’t bowling at any express speed or with some magnificent precision either. Yet the Sri Lankan batters, getting as close as 42 requiring from three overs with six wickets in hand, lost the game by a huge margin of 38 runs, that too after getting all out. The batsmen need to take responsibility for their shots and when there is a partnership like there was between Charith Asalanka and Ashen Bandara, the partner who is unable to hit shots must rotate the strike. Basics like these must be cleared among the Sri Lankan batters to then try and gauge their target. Sri Lanka vs India: Match Details Match Number- 02 Date and Time: July 28, 2021, 08:00 pm IST and Local, 02:30 pm GMT Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Broadcast and Live Stream: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV Pitch Report The pitch at Colombo has so far been slow and has helped the spinners and those bowlers who have applied change of pace. It will most likely remain the same way. Weather Forecast The weather at Colombo has disturbed a few games, but never resulted in a washout. There are chances of rain even on Wednesday, July 28, however, the rain would most likely take place in the daytime and from 08:00 pm onwards the precipitation chances decrease below 20%. Team News Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan team might bring in a few changes which include bringing in the likes of Bahanuka Rajapaksa who batted exceedingly well in the third ODI but wasn’t given a chance in the 1st T20I. Apart from that, Praveen Jayawickrama might also be tried in place of Akila Dananjaya who was too expensive in the first game. Probable XI Avishka Fernando, Minod Bhanuka (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama India India would be forced to make at least eight changes in the squad after nine players have been disallowed to make any further participation in the series having been identified as close contacts of Covid-19 positive Krunal Pandya. Probable XI Shikhar Dhawan (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (wk), Nitish Rana, Manish Pandey, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy Fantasy XI Avishka Fernando, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Sanju Samson (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy Captain Shikhar Dhawan Vice-Captain Charith Asalanka
SL vs IND | 3rd ODI: Avishka Fernando, spinners stop India's juggernaut, salvage Sri Lanka's pride
Sri Lanka finally broke the shackles of dismal performances and wasting opportunities and won the third and final ODI of the series against India by three wickets. The series, however, was already won by India in the last game. Chasing a middling score of 226 runs from a 47-over long innings, Sri Lanka were off to a decent start as Avishka Fernando once again showed his potential with the bat. Minod Bhnauka looked under pressure and perished in the process of trying to break free. The match-winning partnership came between Fernando and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, as the duo put a magnificent 109 runs partnership to show Sri Lanka hope of consolation in the series. However, just when things started to go beyond India’s grasp, debutant Chetan Sakariya employed all his guile and deception to bring them back into the game. He first dismissed Rajapaksa and then dismissed Dhanajaya de Silva with a beauty of a slower ball that kicked off from a length. Sri Lanka’s batting effort was then stabilised by Charith Asalanka, who too like Fernando has proved his mettle with the bat in the series. Another debutant Rahul Chahar broke through twice in the late phase of the game to keep India in the hunt but a defiant Fernando at one end did not let India enforce a capitulation of Sri Lanka’s batting order. The bowling from the Indians was not under par but the batsmen left a lot to be covered with their inept stroke play in the first half of the game. After the early departure of the skipper Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Snaju Samson, who finally made his ODI debut after missing out on the first two ODIs, played delightful strokes. Samson, in particular, was sublime in his timing through the off side as inside out drives over cover were a frequent sight. However, none of them could convert their starts into substantial scores and both will feel dejected having ended the series without a three-figure score to their name. India looked on the path of a big score with Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey at the crease at the halfway point. However, Pandey’s loose waft outside off stump that anyway wouldn’t have yielded anything but a single, ended his another frustrating stay the crease. This could well be his last appearance for India with the cut-throat competition in the side and he would be kicking himself for not making the most of the opportunities in all the games of the series. Suryakumar Yadav played some delightful strokes and his short stay at the crease created enough drama and chaos for entertainment. However, he too did not help India a great deal and when Hardik Pandya went for, India’s debutants were left to bail the side out of trouble. For Sri Lanka, Akila Dananjaya and debutant Praveen Jayawickrama were the pick of the bowlers and both of them picked three wickets each. Chameera was rapid as usual and picked two wickets to end the lower order’s resistance. Debutantes among batsmen, Krishnappa Gowtham and Nitish Rana failed to shine in the first attempt at international cricket and left Indian bowlers to do a lot for than they would have desired on not so helpful pitch. India would be disappointed for not winning the series 3-0 and in the insight will value the match-winning innings of Deepak Chahar a lot more than it was done. On the other hand, Sri Lanka would be delighted at putting up a clinical performance in all the departments of the game and getting their second win of the year. Now, the caravan will move to the three-match T20 series which will be played at the same venue from Sunday, July 25.
Confused Sri Lankans celebrate way too early as Suryakumar Yadav earns comic reprieve
Confusion among the fielding Sri Lankans and the batsman Suryakumar Yadav created chaos in the 23rd over of the third ODI between the sides. Suryakumar was beaten by a delivery from Praveen Jayawickrama while attempting to sweep and the umpire Kumar Dharmsena adjudged him lbw out. After having a brief discussion with his batting partner Manish Pandey, Suryakumar opted to challenge the on-field decision. The third umpire Raveendra Wimalasiri found the impact of the ball outside of the line of the off-stump and also more than 2.4 metres from the batting crease. The Sri Lankan side failed to see through the impact call on the ball tracker and started celebrating the dismissal of the batsman as Suryakumae too started to walk off the ground. However, just in nick of time, umpire Wimalasiri informed umpire Dharmsena of his conclusion and recommended him to reverse the decision. A befuddled Dharmsena could not make a sense of the situation and stopped the batsman from going to the pavilion. Just after the end of that action-packed over from Jayawickrama, the clouds opened up and it started pouring in Colombo. Earlier, India won the toss and batted first after making as many as six changes in the playing XI that included five debutants. Navdeep Saini returned to the ODI squad while Chetan Sakariya, Nitish Rana, Rahul Chahar, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Sanju Samson, who had injured his knee to miss out of the first two ODIs, made their ODI debut at the R Premadasa Stadium.
SL vs IND | 3rd ODI: Hosts look for pride salvation, but is Dravid ready to test bench strength?
It was not at all likeable scene when Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur lashed out on skipper Dasun Shanaka after the hosts missed the opportunity to square up the ODI series having gotten India six-wicket down with more than 70 runs to be scored. Later on, Arthur clarified in a tweet that it was rather a very good debate between him and his captain. Will that debate have any outcome on the last match of the series is yet to be seen. Sri Lanka playing for pride and relevance When the Sri Lankan team will take the field on July 23 at the R Premadasa Stadium, more than anything else, it would be about them remaining relevant among the permanent members of the ICC, having lost all but one of their 11 Cricket World Cup Super Leagues. This is the first series of the CWC Super League, the qualifying league for the ICC World Cup 2023 in India, that the Lankan Lions are playing at home. They lost to West Indies 0-3, to Bangladesh 1-2 and to England 0-3, all away from home. Even in this series, they were roughed up in the first game, but came back very well in the second one and almost won it. In the third and the last game of the series, they would look to make amend and try and register the all-important 10 Super League points on the board before it gets too late. Having already been forced to play a Qualifying stage of the T20 World Cup, the Sri Lankan side wouldn’t want to take the humiliation to the next level being forced to play the ODI World Cup qualifiers as well. The team is young and has a leader with good heald on shoulders. All it needs is some support from the coaching staff and the country and the sharpening of the skills and trust in those skills to execute them in crucial situations. India could trade 10 Super League points to test bench strength Since India is going to be hosting the 2023 World Cup, it doesn’t need any Super League points specifically. Having said that, no team likes to lose no matter what the importance of the match is. But Rahul Dravid is such a coach who doesn’t like to bench his players for long. At the start of the series, his and Team India’s aim was to win the series. Now that it has been won, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see 5-6 changes in the team for the next game. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, both have had a go in the ODI series and although they had one success and one failure, Dravid would be tempting to test the confidence of Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad in international waters. Similarly, with Sanju Samson having recovered from his injury, he would likely be tried at Ishan Kishan’s place. Others in the fray could be Nitish Rana getting a game in place of Suryakumar Yadav. The three spinners part of the first two games could also be completely swapped with Krishnappa Gowtham having an outing in place of Krunal Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy, Rahul Chahar getting a game each ahead of the T20s. The Kul-Cha in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav could be rested as well. Chetan Sakariuya, a find of the IPL and consistent performer in the last domestic season deserves a place and Deepak Chahar, after that scintillating performance in the last game would love some time to rest and revitalise for the shortest format series. Sri Lanka vs India: Match Details Match Number- 3rd ODI Date and Time: 03:00 pm IST, 09:30 am GMT, 03:00 pm Local Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Broadcast and Streaming in India: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV Pitch Report As has been witnessed during the last two ODIs, the pitch is perfectly suited for an ODI game with enough turn for the spinners and offering early swing for the pace bowlers as well. If the batsmen settle in, he has a great chance of making big, only that no one has been able to do that from any team in the last two games. However, a score of anything less than 290 is not safe on the wicket. Weather Forecast and Toss Even after it being the monsoon season in Sri Lanka and pouring down heavily in Tamil Nadu of India, which shares its water borders with the island country, Premadasa Stadium has so far been lucky to escape the wrath of the rain gods. However, it seems that it wouldn’t be lucky thrice as there are huge chances of rain in Colombo on Friday, July 23. In fact, during the match timings, the chances increase to 51-60% with the humidity ranging between 77-89% during that period. As far as winning the toss and making a decision is concerned, both the captains would be looking to field first. Team News Sri Lanka With Bahnuka Rajapaksa getting injured in the field during the second game and his form not showing any kind of improvement, Pathum Nissanka might be able to get a game and get some runs under his belt as well. Avishka Fernando needs to remain patient when it comes to his batting approach as he missed two good starts in the first two games. Either Akila Dhananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrma need to get a game in place of Lakshan Sandakan as he has proved costly in both the games. Apart from his leg-spin, Dhananjaya’s ability to use the long handle with the bat pushes his case forward. However, Praveen did exceedingly well in the Tests against Bangladesh at home and brings variety with his left arm orthodox as Sri Lanka already have a leg spinner in Waninndu Hasarna and an off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva. Probable XI Avishka Fernando, Minod Bhanuka (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananjaya/ Praveen Jayawickrma Kasun Rajitha India India would most likely make eight changes as it seems that the rest of the players who haven’t got a game till now might be tried. Thus Padikkal, Gaikwad, Rana, Sakariya, Gowtham, Rahul Chahar and Chakravarthy might be making their India debuts while Samson might get an international game after a long time too. Probable XI Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (c), Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Sakariya Dream XI fantasy team Avishka Fernando, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Hardik Pandya, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Krishnappa Gowtham, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Rahul Chahar Captain- Wanindu Hasaranga Vice-Captain- Hardik Pandya
Sri Lanka cricket offers innovative retainer contracts; Dickewella and de Silva get top grades
In a recent move by Sri Lanka Cricket, the board has announced retainer contracts to 24 Men’s players, which is eight less than the previous year’s 32. While wicket-keeper batsman and all format player Nirisan Dickwella along with all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva got the top A1 grade and would be paid remuneration worth USD 100,000 for the 2021-22 season, Veteran batsman Dinesh Chandimal was pushed to C2, the fifth-lowest grading on a 12 point grading system. Tom Moody, the Director of Cricket Sri Lanka and Arvinda de Silva, Cricket Technical Committee chief explained the grading system which was an accumulation of 100 points earned by a player through parameters such as Performance (out of 50), Fitness (out of 20), Leadership (out of 10), Professionalism (out of 10) and Future Potential and Adaptability (out of 10). While the Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne is in A3 grade and the ODI skipper Kusal Perera is in A2, the surprising part is the grade of B1 given to T20I skipper Dasun Shanaka. To finalise this year’s contract, previous year’s and 2019-20 season’s performances were considered for grading. All players will have to sign their contracts by June 3. Apart from the national contracts, there is also a provision for a Domestic annually renewable Development Contract which will be available to six players aged under 25 and will be renewed for three years after which those players would not get that contract any further. There is also a provision for Incremental Contract for players who do not have either national or domestic development contracts. To gain this, a player must gain 10 points on a system that would give three points for a Test appearance and one point each for T20I and ODI appearance. Players like Praveen Jayawickrama, who recently made a sensational debut in Test cricket picking a five-for in his very first innings against Bangladesh could benefit from the Incremental contract as he has not been placed in any grade of the central contract for this year. The Sri Lankan ODI team is currently in Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series against the hosts beginning May 23. Contract Grade Breakdown A1 (USD 100,000): Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella A2 (USD 80,000): Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews A3 (USD 70,000): Kusal Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne B1 (USD 65,000): Suranga Lakmal, Dasun Shanaka B2 (USD 60,000): Wanindu Hasaranga, Lasith Embuldeniya B3 (USD 55,000): Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Thirimanne C1 (USD 50,000): Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha C2 (USD 45,000): Dinesh Chandimal, Lakshan Sandakan C3 (USD 40,000): Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana D1 (USD 35,000): Ramesh Mendis, Oshada Fernando D2 (USD 30,000): Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Kumara D3 (USD 25,000): Ashen Bandara, Akila Dananjaya
SL vs BAN | 2nd Test - Sri Lanka complete formalities, thrash Bangladesh to a 1-0 series win
Sri Lanka didnt take much time to complete the formalities on the final day of the second Test against Bangladesh registering a convincing 209 runs victory to win the series 1-0. Sri Lanka was smelling victory by the end of day 4 and made sure that they finished off proceedings early on Day 5. With 5 wickets already down, Bangladesh needed to bat out of their skin to harbour hopes of getting anywhere close to the target. However, nothing of that sort transpired as the two spinners Ramesh Mendis and Praveen Jayawickrama ran through the Bangladesh lower order. Bangladesh began the final day’s play on 177/5 with still 260 more runs to win the encounter. Liton Das was the first man dismissed in the day’s play as he was trapped in front of a slider from Jayawickrama. The slow left-arm spinner bagged his second five-wicket haul of the match and also finishing with a 10 wicket match haul. Taijul Islam was the next man dismissed and this time it was Dhananjaya de Silva who bagged the wicket. Seven wickets down and Sri Lanka looked like finishing off the match in quick time. A brief 21 runs partnership between Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan defied the Sri Lankan bowlers for a few overs but the inevitable was always on the cards. The last three wickets fell without any more addition to the score as Bangladesh were skittled out for 227 in 71 overs, thus handing a 209 victory to the Islanders. While Mendis bagged four and Jayawickrama snapped up 5 wickets yet again. Brief Scores Sri Lanka 1st innings- 493/7 dec (Lahiru Thirimanne 140, Dimuth Karunaratne 118, Taskin Ahmed 4/127) Bangladesh 1st innings- 251 all-out (Tamim Iqbal 92, Praveen Jayawickrama 6/92) Sri Lanka 2nd innings- 194/9 dec (Dimuth Karunaratne 66, Taijul Islam 5/72) Bangladesh 2nd innings- 227 all-out (Mushfiqur Rahim 40, Praveen Jayawickrama 5/86) Sri Lanka won by 209 runs
SL vs BAN | 2nd Test | Day-4: Sri Lanka inch closer to series victory
Sri Lanka looks set to complete a resounding victory against Bangladesh after ruling the roost for the majority of Day 4. After bowling out Bangladesh for a below-par 251 in their first innings, Sri Lanka needed some quick runs. However, they lost two quick wickets and started the 4th day’s play on 17/2 with a huge lead of 242 runs. They needed to get some quick runs and put Bangladesh on the backfoot and that was exactly what they did. Sri Lanka lost the wicket of Angelo Matthews early on in the day and it was a good delivery from Taijul Islam to bring his downfall. With such a huge lead, Sri Lanka was well in control despite the loss of Matthews. A partnership of 73 runs from Dhananjaya de Silva and skipper Dimuth Karunratne set the tone for the rest of the day. They started scoring quickly without caring about the wickets. Pathum Nissanka and Niroshan Dickwella breezed through in the mini knocks which allowed Sri Lanka to post 194 on the board with the loss of 9 wickets. Karunartne decided to declare the innings on 194, giving a highly impossible target of 437. While the skipper was the top scorer for the Lankans with 66, Taijul Islam bowled brilliantly and finished with a fifer. He returned with figures of 5/72 in 19.2 overs. The visitors got off to a brisk start courtesy some fine strokeplay from opener Tamim Iqbal. He looked in sublime touch but had to depart after making 24 of 26 in a bid to play his strokes. The most disappointing part with Bangladesh’s batting display was everyone got off to start but none could turn it into a big one. All the top five batsmen looked in great touch and played some delightful shots en route to their brief knocks. However, despite their exceptional starts, Bangladesh could only muster 177 on the board with the loss of 5 wickets. Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim went past 25 but none could convert it into a half-century. Ramesh Mendis and Praveen Jayawickrama bowled brilliantly in the middle overs and bagged three and two wickets respectively. With Bangladesh still needing 260 to win, Sri Lanka can sense victory and they should be hoping to wrap up things early on Day 5. Brief Scores Sri Lanka 1st innings- 493/7 dec (Lahiru Thirimanne 140, Dimuth Karunaratne 118, Taskin Ahmed 4/127) Bangladesh 1st innings- 251 all-out (Tamim Iqbal 92, Praveen Jayawickrama 6/92) Sri Lanka 2nd innings- 194/9 dec (Dimuth Karunaratne 66, Taijul Islam 5/72) Bangladesh 2nd innings- 177/5 (Mushfiqur Rahim 40, Ramesh Mendis 3/86) Bangladesh need 260 more runs to win
SL vs BAN | 2nd Test | Day-3: Praveen Jayawickrama dazzles on debut as Lankans tame the Tigers
It was a dream day for debutant leg spinner Praveen Jayawickrama as he not only picked six wickets in his maiden innings in international cricket but also broke Upula Chandana’s 21-year-old record for best figures on Test debut for Sri Lanka. Jayawickrama, 22, picked the wickets of the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das, some of the established names in international cricket. He ended up with the figures of 6-92. The day started with Sri Lanka declaring their innings for 493-7 even as wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella remained unbeaten on 77 from 72 balls. Coming to bat, Bangladesh had a great start with the opening pair putting on 98 runs. Saif Hasan was the first international wicket of Jayawickrama. Najmul Hossain Shanto, the centurion from the last game was then removed for a duck by Ramesh Mendis. The experienced pair of Tamim and skipper Mominul then tried to steady the ship with a 52 runs stand. It was broken by Jayawickrama once again. Tamim missed his century by two runs. He now has three half-centuries in the series. Post this partnership, Mominul tried to build another one with another experienced man, wicket-keeper batsman and former skipper Rahim. But this 63 run partnership between the duo was the last considerable one as then the Bangladeshi batting order went down like a pack of cards. From 214-3, the team was all out at 251. The Sri Lankan team had a lead of 242 runs. Instead of enforcing the follow on, the Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne came out to bat once again. The Lankans were rattled by the Bangla spinners as well as they lost two quick wickets to end the day at 17-2 with Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews at the crease. Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam picked one each to end the day at the Pallekele International Stadium.