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Dasun Shanaka’s century saves Sri Lanka from humiliation loss.
The Indian team won by 67 runs in the first ODI held yesterday (10).
With the outstanding performance of Virat Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, the Indian team managed to win the first ODI against Sri Lanka. Taking the lead 1-0 in the ODI series consisting of 3 matches.

Sri Lanka won the toss and gave India the opportunity to bat first. Accordingly, the Indian team entered the field and managed to score 373 runs by losing 7 wickets at the end of 50 overs.

Virat Kohli managed to score a century for the Indian team, which is his 45th century. The loss of two catches by Virat Kohli in the hands of the Sri Lankan bowlers was the main reason for the Indian team to reach such a score, and an easy catch that gave 54 runs was lost in the hands of wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis. This can be called the decisive moment of the match.
The bowling of the Sri Lankan team was very far-fetched and the Indian batsmen did not allow any bowler to succeed. At the end of the 10 overs bowled by Wanidu Hasaranga, the world’s number one T20 bowler, he scored 67 runs and failed to take any wickets. The Indian batsmen managed to maintain a team scoring rate of 6.0 overall for Sri Lankan bowlers.
At the end of the 50 overs, the Sri Lankan team, which entered the field to play the reply innings, could score only 306 runs with the loss of 8 wickets. The opening batting pair of the Sri Lankan team changed and this time Pathum Nissanka and Aviska Fernando entered the field as the opening batting pair. Mohammad Siraj managed to send the opening wicket tie to 19 runs to Avishka Stadium.

Kusal Mendis, who was a successful opening batsman in this year’s Twenty20 series, entered the field as the number one batsman and he had to leave the field without scoring a run. It is surprising that he changed his position when he was successful as an opening batsman.
This time too, the middle-order batting of the Sri Lankan team failed, and when Sri Lanka lost 8 wickets for 206 runs, Kasun Rajitha managed to score a record 100 runs together with the captain Dasun Shanaka, and Dasun Shanaka managed to score a precious 100 runs. With that century, the Sri Lankan team managed to cross the 300-run mark, which saved Sri Lanka from humiliation.

Scoreboard – India
Virat Kohli – 113 (87)
Rohit Sharma – 83 (63)
Shubman Gill – 70 (60)
Bowling
Kasun Rajitha – 10-0-88-3
Dilshan Madhusanka – 6-0-43-1
Scoreboard – Sri Lanka
Dasun Shanaka – 108 not out
Pathum Nissanka – 72 (80)
Dhananjayada Silva – 47(40)
Bowling
Umran Malik – 8-0-57-3
Mohammad Siraj – 7-1-30-2
දසුන් ශානකගේ ශතකයෙන් ශ්රී ලංකාව අවමානයෙන් ගැලවේ.
ඊයේ (10) පැවති පළමු එක්දින තරගෙන් ලකුණු 67ක් ජයක් ලබා ගැනීමට ඉන්දීය කණ්ඩායම සමත් විය.
විරාත් කෝලි, නායක රෝහිත් ෂර්මා හා ශුබ්මන් ගිල්ගේ කැපී පෙනෙන දක්ෂතාවය නිසා ශ්රී ලංකාවට එරෙහිව පැවැත්වූ පළමු එක්දින තරගයෙන් ජය ලබා ගැනීමට ඉන්දීය කණ්ඩායම සමත් විය. ඒ තරග 3කින් සමන්විත එක්දින තරගාවලියේ තරග 1-0 ක් ලෙස පෙරමුණ ගනිමිනි.
කාසියේ වාසිය ශ්රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායම ලබා ගනිමින් පළමුව පන්දුවට පහර දීමේ අවස්ථාව ඉන්දියාවට ලබා දුන්නේය. ඒ අනුව පිටියට පිවිසි ඉන්දියානු කණ්ඩායම පන්දුවාර 50 අවසානයේ කඩුලු 7ක් දැවී ලකුණු 373ක් ලබා ගනීමට සමත් විය.
ඉන්දියානු කණ්ඩායම වෙනුවෙන් විරාත් කෝලි ශතකයක් රැස් කිරීමට සමත් වූ අතර එය ඔහුගේ 45 වන ශතකය වේ. විරාත් කෝලි ලබා දුන් උඩපන්දු දෙකක් ශ්රී ලංකා පන්දු යවන්නන් අතින් ගිලිහීම මෙවැනි ලකුණු සංඛ්යාවක් කරා ඉන්දීය කණ්ඩායම යාමට ප්රධානතම හේතුව වූ අතර, ලකුණු 54 ලබාදුන් පහසු උඩ පන්දුවක් කඩුලු රකින ක්රීඩක කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස් අතින් ගිලුහුණි. මෙය තරගයේ තීරණාත්මක අවස්ථාව ලෙස හැදිවිය හැකිය.
ශ්රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායමේ පන්දු යවීම ඉතා දුරවල මට්ටමක පැවති අතර, කිසිදු පන්දු යවන්නෙකුට සාර්ථක වීමට ඉන්දීය පිතිකරුවන් ඉඩ ලබා දුන්නේ නැත. ලොව අංක එකේ විස්සයි විස්ස පන්දු යවන්නා වන වනිදු හසරංග යැවූ පන්දුවාර 10 අවසානයේ ඔහුට ලකුණු 67ක් ලබා ගත් අතර කිසිදු කඩුල්ලක් ලබා ගැනීමට නොහැකි විය. ශ්රී ලංකාවේ සියලුම පන්දුයවන්න හට 6.0 වඩා ලකුණු ලබා ගැනීමේ දල වේගයක් රදවා ගැනීමට ඉන්දීය පිතිකරුවන් සමත් විය.
පිළිතුරු ඉනිම ක්රීඩා කිරීමට පිටියට පිවිසි ශ්රී ලංකා කන්ඩායමට පන්දුවාර 50 අවසානයේ කඩුලු 8ක් දැවී ලබා ගත හැකි වූයේ ලකුණු 306ක් පමණි. ශ්රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායමේ ආරම්භක පිතිකරණ යුගලය වෙනස් වූ අතර මෙවර ආරම්භක පිතිකරණ යුගලය ලෙස පිටියට පිවිසියේ පැතුම් නිස්සංක හා අවිශ්ක ප්රනාන්දුය. ආරම්භක කඩුල්ලේ සබදතාවය ලකුණු 19 වන විට අවිශ්ක ක්රීඩාගාරය වෙත යැවීමට මොහොමඩ් සිරාජ් සමත් විය.
මෙවර විස්සයි විස්ස තරගාවලියේ සාර්ථක ආරම්භක පිතිකරුවෙකු වූ කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස් නොම්බර එක පිතිකරුවා ලෙස පිටියට පිවිසි අතර ඔහුට ලකුණු නොලාබාම පිටියෙන් ඉවත් වීමට සිදු විය. ඔහු ආරම්භක පිතිකරුවෙකු ලෙස සාර්ථක වී සිටියදී ඔහුගේ ස්ථානය වෙනස් කිරීම විමතියට කරුණකි.
මෙවරද ශ්රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායමේ මැද පෙල පිතිකරණය අසාර්ථක වූ අතර, ශ්රී ලංකාව ලකුණු 206කට කඩුලු 8ක් දැවී සිටියදී නායක දසුන් ශානක හා එක්ව කසුන් රාජිත වාර්ථගත ලකුණු 100ක සභදතාවයක් පැවැත්වීමට සමත් වූ අතර, දසුන් ශානක අගනා ලකුණු 100ක් ලබා ගැනීමට සමත් විය. ඒ ශතකයත් සමගින් ශ්රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායම ලකුණු 300 සීමාව පසු කිරීමට සමත් වූ අතර, එය ශ්රී ලංකාව අවමානයෙන් ගලවා ගැනීමට සමත් විය.
ලකුණු පුවරුව – ඉන්දියාව
විරාත් කෝලි – 113 (87)
රෝහිත් ශර්මා – 83 (63)
ශුබ්මන් ගිල් – 70 (60)
පන්දු යැවීම
කසුන් රාජිත – 10-0-88-3
දිල්ෂාන් මධුසංක – 6-0-43-1
ලකුණු පුවරුව – ශ්රී ලංකාව
දසුන් ශානක – නොදැවී 108
පැතුම් නිස්සංක – 72 (80)
ධනංජයද සිල්වා – 47(40)
පන්දු යැවීම
උම්රාන් මලික් – 8-0-57-3
මොහොමඩ් සිරාජ් – 7-1-30-2
தசுன் ஷனகவின் சதம் இலங்கையை அவமானத்திலிருந்து காப்பாற்றியது.
நேற்று (10) நடைபெற்ற முதலாவது ஒருநாள் போட்டியில் இந்திய அணி 67 ஓட்டங்களால் வெற்றி பெற்றது.
விராட் கோலி, கேப்டன் ரோகித் சர்மா, ஷுப்மான் கில் ஆகியோரின் சிறப்பான ஆட்டத்தால், இலங்கைக்கு எதிரான முதல் ஒருநாள் போட்டியில் இந்திய அணி வெற்றி பெற்றது. 3 போட்டிகள் கொண்ட ஒருநாள் தொடரில் 1-0 என முன்னிலை பெற்றுள்ளது.
டாஸ் வென்ற இலங்கை, இந்தியாவுக்கு முதலில் பேட்டிங் செய்ய வாய்ப்பளித்தது. அதன்படி களம் இறங்கிய இந்திய அணி 50 ஓவர்கள் முடிவில் 7 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து 373 ரன்கள் எடுத்தது.
இந்திய அணிக்காக விராட் கோலி சதம் அடித்தார், இது அவரது 45வது சதமாகும். இலங்கை பந்துவீச்சாளர்களின் கைகளில் விராட் கோலியின் இரண்டு கேட்ச்களை இழந்ததே இந்திய அணி இவ்வளவு ஸ்கோரை எட்ட முக்கிய காரணமாக அமைந்தது, மேலும் 54 ரன்கள் கொடுத்த எளிதான கேட்சை விக்கெட் கீப்பர் குசல் மெண்டிஸ் கையில் இழந்தார். இதை போட்டியின் தீர்க்கமான தருணம் என்று சொல்லலாம்.
இலங்கை அணியின் பந்துவீச்சு மிகவும் அசாத்தியமானது மற்றும் இந்திய பேட்ஸ்மேன்கள் எந்தவொரு பந்து வீச்சாளரையும் வெற்றிபெற அனுமதிக்கவில்லை. உலகின் நம்பர் ஒன் டி20 பந்து வீச்சாளரான வனிது ஹசரங்க வீசிய 10 ஓவர்கள் முடிவில் 67 ரன்கள் குவித்து விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்த முடியாமல் திணறினர். இந்திய பேட்ஸ்மேன்கள் அனைத்து இலங்கை பந்துவீச்சாளர்களையும் விட 6.0 என்ற அணியின் ஸ்கோர் விகிதத்தை பராமரிக்க முடிந்தது.
பதில் இன்னிங்ஸை ஆட களம் இறங்கிய இலங்கை அணி 50 ஓவர்கள் முடிவில் 8 விக்கெட் இழப்புக்கு 306 ரன்கள் மட்டுமே எடுக்க முடிந்தது. இலங்கை அணியின் ஆரம்ப துடுப்பாட்ட ஜோடி மாறி இம்முறை ஆரம்ப துடுப்பாட்ட ஜோடியாக பாத்தும் நிஸ்ஸங்க மற்றும் அவிஸ்கா பெர்னாண்டோ களம் இறங்கினார்கள். மொஹமட் சிராஜ் தொடக்க விக்கெட்டை 19 ரன்களுக்கு அவிஷ்கா மைதானத்திற்கு அனுப்பினார்.
இந்த வருட இருபதுக்கு 20 தொடரில் வெற்றிகரமான ஆரம்ப துடுப்பாட்ட வீரராக களமிறங்கிய குசால் மெண்டிஸ் நம்பர் ஒன் துடுப்பாட்ட வீரராக களம் இறங்கியதால் அவர் ரன் ஏதும் எடுக்காமல் களத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறினார். தொடக்க பேட்ஸ்மேனாக வெற்றி பெற்ற போது தனது நிலையை மாற்றிக் கொண்டது ஆச்சரியமாக உள்ளது.
இம்முறையும் இலங்கை அணியின் மிடில் ஆர்டர் துடுப்பாட்டம் தோல்வியடைந்ததுடன், இலங்கை 206 ஓட்டங்களுக்கு 8 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்திருந்த போது, கசுன் ராஜித, அணித்தலைவர் தசுன் ஷனக்கவுடன் இணைந்து 100 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்று சாதனை படைத்தார். 100 ரன்கள். அந்த சதத்தின் மூலம் இலங்கை அணி 300 ரன்களை கடக்க, இலங்கை அணியை அவமானத்தில் இருந்து காப்பாற்றியது.
ஸ்கோர்போர்டு – இந்தியா
விராட் கோலி – 113 (87)
ரோஹித் சர்மா – 83 (63)
சுப்மன் கில் – 70 (60)
பந்துவீச்சு
கசுன் ராஜித – 10-0-88-3
தில்ஷான் மதுசங்க – 6-0-43-1
ஸ்கோர்போர்டு – இலங்கை
தசுன் ஷனக – 108 நாட் அவுட்
பாத்தும் நிஸ்ஸங்க – 72 (80)
தனஞ்சயத சில்வா – 47(40)
பந்துவீச்சு
உம்ரான் மாலிக் – 8-0-57-3
முகமது சிராஜ் – 7-1-30-2
Football
Sri Lanka U20 Women’s Football Hits Rock Bottom at SAFF Championship Amid Continued National-Level Crisis
The Sri Lanka U20 Women’s Team endured a disappointing campaign at the SAFF U20 Women’s Championship 2025, suffering two heavy defeats with one group match left to play. In their opening encounter, Sri Lanka was thrashed 9 -1 by Bangladesh, followed by a 5-0 loss against Bhutan, indicating a deeper crisis in the country’s women’s football structure.


These back-to-back losses highlight the grim state of the women’s football program, especially when placed alongside the senior team’s exit from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers earlier this year without a single win. This trend reflects not just a lack of preparation, but an institutional failure to establish a developmental pipeline or strategic plan.

What’s even more concerning is the absence of visible recovery mechanisms from the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL). Instead of addressing systemic issues—such as lack of coaching standards, insufficient grassroots investment, and poor player welfare—key decision-makers appear more focused on the upcoming FFSL elections. Behind-the-scenes politics continue to stall any meaningful progress in women’s football development.

Despite the promising young talent in Sri Lanka, the gap in fitness, tactical training, and match readiness compared to regional rivals is growing wider. Without immediate technical reforms and leadership that prioritizes performance over politics, the future of women’s football in the country remains uncertain.
With one more match against a strong Nepal side, the prospects of a comeback look bleak, unless there is a radical shift in how the game is managed from the ground up.
News
South Asian Karate Championship 2025: India and Sri Lanka Shine as Karate Celebrates 50 Years in Sri Lanka
Colombo, July 5–6, 2025 – The 9th South Asian Karate Championship and the 1st South Asian Youth Karate Championship successfully concluded at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, marking a landmark moment in Sri Lanka’s martial arts history as the nation celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Karate Federation.
This prestigious two-day event was jointly organized by the South Asian Karate Federation and the Sri Lanka Karate Federation, which is registered under the Ministry of Sports as one of the seven official sports federations in the country.
Day 1 (July 5) – Youth Championship Dominated by India and Sri Lanka
The opening day featured intense youth-level competition with over 700 athletes from seven South Asian nations – Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives – competing in age categories below 14.
🥇 Youth Medal Standings (U-14 Category):
- India – 22 Medals (1st Place)
- Nepal – 20 Medals (2nd Place)
- Sri Lanka – 10 Medals (3rd Place)
📺 Watch Day 1 Highlights:
Final Day (July 6) – Sri Lanka Takes Youth Title, India Clinches Senior Crown
The second day of the tournament featured both senior and youth finals. In a historic achievement, Sri Lanka emerged champions in the Youth Division, while India secured the Senior Team Championship, continuing their regional dominance.
Final Team Standings:
- Senior Category:
- 🥇 India (Champions)
- 🥈 Nepal (Runners-up)
- 🥉 Sri Lanka (Third Place)
- Youth Category:
- 🥇 Sri Lanka (Champions)
- 🥈 India (Runners-up)
- 🥉 Nepal (Third Place)
Watch Final Day Highlights:
Special Guests & Recognition
The event was graced by His Excellency Akio Isomata, the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, who attended as the Chief Guest, acknowledging Sri Lanka’s long-standing contribution to the growth of karate in South Asia.
Also present was Bharat Sharma, President of the South Asian Karate Federation, who praised the standard of competition and Sri Lanka’s organizing excellence.
Karate in Sri Lanka – 50 Years of Legacy
This championship coincided with the 50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Karate Federation, which has played a vital role in shaping karate talent nationally and internationally. With continued support from the Ministry of Sports, karate remains one of Sri Lanka’s fastest-growing combat sports.
Football
Sri Lanka Women Finish Qualifiers with 0 Goals, 20 Conceded – Who Will Take Responsibility?
Colombo, July 3 – Sri Lanka Women’s National Football Team wrapped up their AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers campaign with a third straight defeat — a 2-0 loss to Laos — confirming their position at the bottom of Group F, with 0 wins, 0 goals scored, and 18 conceded in just three games.
But beyond the scorelines lies a far more serious issue: a complete collapse of women’s football development in Sri Lanka. And this time, the blame does not lie on one individual — but on a system that has failed the sport, from top to bottom.

Match-by-Match Recap
Match 1: Sri Lanka 0 – 10 Uzbekistan
- Possession: 30%
- Shots on Target: 0
- xG: 0.0 vs Uzbekistan’s 3.60
- A game that exposed a lack of preparation, structure, and fitness from the very start.
Match 2: Sri Lanka 0 – 8 Nepal
- Possession: 50%
- Defensive errors gifted goals, including a hat-trick by Sabitra Bhandari.
- xG: Nepal 3.76 vs Sri Lanka 0.60
- Tactical breakdown: Midfield collapsed under pressure, backline failed to close space.
Match 3: Sri Lanka 0 – 2 Laos
- Possession: 50%
- Shots on Target: 5
- xG: 2.56 (Laos) vs 1.08 (Sri Lanka)
- A more balanced performance, but defensive lapses in the 73rd and 90+2 minutes led to defeat. Sri Lanka couldn’t convert chances despite their best game statistically.
Final Group Standings – Group F
Team | MP | GF | GA | GD | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
🇳🇵 Nepal | 2 | 17 | 0 | +17 | 6 |
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 2 | 17 | 0 | +17 | 6 |
🇱🇦 Laos | 2 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 0 |
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 20 | -20 | 0 |
Tactical Issues Across All Matches
- No clear formation or transition play.
- Lack of defensive coordination — players failed to track runners, especially on the flanks.
- No attacking identity — only 1.08 xG across three games.
- In-game management absent — few substitutions or tactical shifts despite being outplayed.
While public criticism often targets the President of the Football Federation, this decline in women’s football runs deeper:
Who Is Accountable? Not Just the President
Women’s Football Committee:
- Failed to organize any domestic tournament in recent years.
- Selected the squad via open trials, with no league performance data to back selections.
- No consistent training camps or fitness programs.
Executive Committee:
- Remains silent on the recurring failures.
- No inquiries, reviews, or structural reforms have followed Sri Lanka’s repeated humiliations — including the U20 Women’s SAFF defeat earlier this year.
Technical & Development Staff:
- No tactical framework or youth development.
- No modern coaching methods or international exposure for players.
The Bigger Problem: Silence and Stagnation
Sri Lanka is not just losing matches — it’s losing direction. The current state of women’s football is not the result of one bad campaign. It’s the product of years of neglect, political appointments, and a failure to treat women’s football with equal priority.
Even now, there is no explanation from the Executive Committee on how the women’s team was prepared or what plans exist for recovery.
Time for a Reset, Not Excuses
If Sri Lanka is serious about competing in international football, the following must be addressed:
- ✅ A national women’s league
- ✅ Provincial and school-level competitions
- ✅ Professional coaching staff and structured fitness programs
- ✅ Regular international friendlies and camps
- ✅ Transparent selection processes based on performance, not politics
🔚 Conclusion
Sri Lanka’s 2026 AFC campaign should not just be remembered for the scorelines — but as a call for change. It is time for every stakeholder — from the Women’s Committee to the Executive — to reflect, respond, and rebuild.
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