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Dushan Hemantha and Matheesha Pathirana are in line to debut in the first ODI against Afghanistan
Leg spinner Dushan Hemantha and pacer Matheesha Pathirana are likely to debut in the first one-day International debuts when Sri Lanka takes on Afghanistan in the first ODI in Hambantota tomorrow.
Sri Lanka will head to the opening game without their ace spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who has been ruled out of the first two ODIs in the three-match series due to an injury in his right knee.
Since Wanindu is out of the first two ODI’s Dushan Hemantha could make his international cricket debut.
“Since Wanindu has an injury concern, Dushan Hemantha has a good chance to debut in the first ODI,” hinted Sri Lanka white ball captain Dasun Shanaka.
Dasun also said the inclusion of two senior pros- Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews to the squad is a huge boost to the balance of the team and if they are looking for a long innings their contribution will play a huge role.
“Dimuth Karunartne and Angelo Mathews’s inclusion to the squad is a huge boost. If we are to play a long innings their contribution will play a major role. Their inclusion has strengthened the squad,” Dasun said.
The white ball skipper also disclosed the young Malinga-like pacer Matheesha Pathirana will make his debut tomorrow. Matheesha is back in Sri Lanka after a successful stint with Chennai Super Kings in the recently concluded Indian Premier League 2023. He will look to continue his fine form, especially in pace-friendly wickets in Hambanthota.
Afghanistan will engage in three ODIs on 2, 4 and 7 June at the MRIC Stadium in Hambantota.
Afghanistan last toured Sri Lanka for an ODI series in November 2022, when the sides engaged in a competitive battle. Afghanistan stunned Sri Lanka in the first ODI, winning the contest by 60 runs. After a no result in the second contest, the Lankans roared back by winning the third ODI by four wickets and levelling the series.
The series will also mark the return of international men’s cricket in Hambantota, with the venue last hosting an ODI match in February 2020.
දුෂාන් හේමන්ත සහ මතීෂ පතිරණ ඇෆ්ගනිස්තානයට එරෙහි පළමු එක්දින තරගයට එක්වීමට නියමිතයි.
ශ්රී ලංකාව සහ ඇෆ්ගනිස්තානය අතර හෙට හම්බන්තොටදී පැවැත්වෙන පළමු එක්දින තරගයේදී දඟ පන්දු යවන ක්රීඩක දුෂාන් හේමන්ත සහ වේග පන්දු යවන ක්රීඩක මතීෂ පතිරණ පළමු එක්දින ජාත්යන්තර තරගයට සහභාගි වීමට ඉඩ තිබේ.
දකුණු දණහිසේ ආබාධයකට ලක්වීම හේතුවෙන් තරග තුනකින් සමන්විත එක්දින තරගාවලියේ පළමු එක්දින තරග දෙකෙන් ඉවත් කර ඇති ඔවුන්ගේ දඟ පන්දු යවන ක්රීඩක වනිඳු හසරංග නොමැතිව ශ්රී ලංකාව ආරම්භක තරගයට පිවිසෙනු ඇත.
වනිඳු පළමු එක්දින තරග දෙකෙන් ඉවත්ව සිටින බැවින් දුෂාන් හේමන්ත ජාත්යන්තර ක්රිකට් තරගයට පිවිසිය හැකිය.
“වනිඳු ආබාධයකට ලක්ව සිටින නිසා දුෂාන් හේමන්තට පළමු එක්දින තරගයට එක්වීමට හොඳ අවස්ථාවක් තිබෙනවා” යැයි ශ්රී ලංකා සුදු පන්දු නායක දසුන් ශානක ඉඟි කළේය.
ජ්යෙෂ්ඨ ක්රීඩකයින් දෙදෙනෙකු වන දිමුත් කරුණාරත්න සහ ඇන්ජලෝ මැතිව්ස් සංචිතයට ඇතුළත් කිරීම කණ්ඩායමේ සමබරතාවයට විශාල ශක්තියක් බවත් ඔවුන් දිගු ඉනිමක් අපේක්ෂා කරන්නේ නම් ඔවුන්ගේ දායකත්වය විශාල කාර්යභාරයක් ඉටු කරන බවත් දසුන් පැවසීය.
“දිමුත් කරුණාරත්න සහ ඇන්ජලෝ මැතිව්ස් සංචිතයට ඇතුළත් කිරීම විශාල ශක්තියක්. අපි දිගු ඉනිමක් ක්රීඩා කරනවා නම් ඔවුන්ගේ දායකත්වය විශාල කාර්යභාරයක් ඉටු කරනවා. ඔවුන් ඇතුළත් කිරීම සංචිතය ශක්තිමත් කර තිබෙනවා” දසුන් පැවසීය.
වේග පන්දු යවන ක්රීඩක මතීෂ පතිරණ හෙට සිය මංගල තරගයට ක්රීඩා කරන බව ද සුදු පන්දු නායකයා තරුණ මාලිංග හෙළි කළේය. මතීෂ පසුගියදා අවසන් වූ ඉන්දීය ප්රිමියර් ලීග් 2023 තරඟාවලියේදී චෙන්නායි සුපර් කිංග්ස් කණ්ඩායම සමඟ සාර්ථක ක්රීඩා කිරීමෙන් පසු නැවතත් ශ්රී ලංකාවට පැමිණ ඇත.
ඇෆ්ගනිස්තානය ජුනි 2, 4 සහ 7 යන දිනවල හම්බන්තොට MRIC ක්රීඩාංගණයේදී එක්දින තරග තුනකට සහභාගි වීමට නියමිතය.
ඇෆ්ගනිස්ථානය අවසන් වරට ශ්රී ලංකාවේ එක්දින තරඟාවලියක් සඳහා සංචාරය කළේ 2022 නොවැම්බර් මාසයේදී දෙපාර්ශවය තරඟකාරී සටනක නිරත වූ අවස්ථාවේදීය. ශ්රී ලංකාව සහ ඇෆ්ගනිස්තානය අතර පැවති පළමු එක්දින තරගය ලකුණු 60කින් ජය ගැනීමට ඇෆ්ගනිස්තානය සමත් විය. දෙවැනි තරගයේ කිසිදු ප්රතිඵලයක් නොලැබීමෙන් පසු තුන්වැනි එක්දින තරගය කඩුලු 4කින් ජය ගනිමින් තරගාවලිය සම කිරීමට ශ්රී ලංකා ක්රිකට් ක්රීඩකයෝ සමත් වූහ.
මෙම තරඟාවලිය හම්බන්තොට ජාත්යන්තර පිරිමි ක්රිකට් ක්රීඩාවේ පුනරාගමනය ද සනිටුහන් කරනු ඇත, එම ස්ථානය අවසන් වරට 2020 පෙබරවාරි මස ODI තරඟයක් පවත්වනු ලැබේ.
ஆப்கானிஸ்தானுக்கு எதிரான முதல் ஒருநாள் போட்டியில் துஷான் ஹேமந்த மற்றும் மதீஷ பத்திரன ஆகியோர் களமிறங்க உள்ளனர்.
நாளை ஹம்பாந்தோட்டாவில் நடைபெறும் முதல் ஒருநாள் போட்டியில் இலங்கை ஆப்கானிஸ்தானை எதிர்கொள்ளும் போது, லெக் ஸ்பின்னர் துஷான் ஹேமந்த மற்றும் வேகப்பந்து வீச்சாளர் மதீஷ பத்திரனா ஆகியோர் முதல் ஒரு நாள் சர்வதேச அறிமுகத்தில் களமிறங்குவார்கள்.
வலது முழங்காலில் ஏற்பட்ட காயம் காரணமாக மூன்று போட்டிகள் கொண்ட தொடரில் முதல் இரண்டு ஒருநாள் போட்டிகளில் இருந்து விலகியுள்ள இலங்கையின் அதிவேக சுழற்பந்து வீச்சாளர் வனிந்து ஹசரங்க இல்லாமலேயே இலங்கை தொடக்க ஆட்டத்திற்குச் செல்லும்.
வனிந்து முதல் இரண்டு ஒருநாள் போட்டிகளில் விளையாடாததால் துஷான் ஹேமந்த சர்வதேச கிரிக்கெட்டில் அறிமுகமாகலாம்.
“வனிந்துவுக்கு காயம் இருப்பதால், துஷான் ஹேமந்தவுக்கு முதல் ஒருநாள் போட்டியில் களமிறங்குவதற்கான நல்ல வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது,” என்று இலங்கை வெள்ளை பந்து கேப்டன் தசுன் ஷனக சுட்டிக்காட்டினார்.
இரண்டு மூத்த சாதகர்களான திமுத் கருணாரத்ன மற்றும் ஏஞ்சலோ மேத்யூஸ் அணியில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டிருப்பது அணியின் சமநிலைக்கு ஒரு பெரிய ஊக்கமளிப்பதாகவும், அவர்கள் நீண்ட இன்னிங்ஸை எதிர்பார்க்கும் பட்சத்தில் அவர்களின் பங்களிப்பு பெரும் பங்கை வகிக்கும் என்றும் தசுன் கூறினார்.
திமுத் கருணார்த்னே மற்றும் ஏஞ்சலோ மேத்யூஸ் அணியில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டிருப்பது மிகப்பெரிய ஊக்கம். நாம் நீண்ட இன்னிங்ஸ் விளையாட வேண்டும் என்றால் அவர்களின் பங்களிப்பு முக்கிய பங்கு வகிக்கும். அவர்கள் சேர்க்கப்பட்டிருப்பது அணியை பலப்படுத்தியுள்ளது,” என்று தசுன் கூறினார்.
வேகப்பந்து வீச்சாளர் மதீஷா பத்திரனா நாளை தனது முதல் ஆட்டத்தில் களமிறங்குவார் என வெள்ளை பந்து கேப்டன் இளம் மலிங்காவையும் வெளிப்படுத்தினார். சமீபத்தில் முடிவடைந்த இந்தியன் பிரீமியர் லீக் 2023ல் சென்னை சூப்பர் கிங்ஸ் அணியுடன் வெற்றிகரமான ஆட்டத்திற்குப் பிறகு மதீஷா மீண்டும் இலங்கைக்கு திரும்பியுள்ளார். குறிப்பாக ஹம்பாந்தோட்டாவில் வேகப்பந்து வீச்சுக்கு ஏற்ற விக்கெட்டுகளில் அவர் தனது சிறப்பான ஆட்டத்தை தொடர விரும்புவார்.
ஜூன் 2, 4 மற்றும் 7 ஆகிய தேதிகளில் ஹம்பாந்தோட்டாவில் உள்ள எம்ஆர்ஐசி மைதானத்தில் ஆப்கானிஸ்தான் அணி மூன்று ஒருநாள் போட்டிகளில் பங்கேற்கிறது.
ஆப்கானிஸ்தான் கடைசியாக நவம்பர் 2022 இல் ஒருநாள் தொடருக்காக இலங்கைக்கு சுற்றுப்பயணம் செய்தது, அப்போது இரு அணிகளும் போட்டி போரில் ஈடுபட்டன. இலங்கைக்கு எதிரான முதல் ஒருநாள் போட்டியில் ஆப்கானிஸ்தான் அணி 60 ரன்கள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்றது. இரண்டாவது போட்டியில் எந்த முடிவும் எட்டப்படாத நிலையில், மூன்றாவது ஒருநாள் போட்டியில் 4 விக்கெட்டுகள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்று தொடரை சமன் செய்தது இலங்கை அணி.
இந்தத் தொடர் அம்பாந்தோட்டையில் சர்வதேச ஆண்கள் கிரிக்கெட் மீண்டும் தொடங்குவதைக் குறிக்கும், அந்த மைதானம் பிப்ரவரி 2020 இல் கடைசியாக ODI போட்டியை நடத்துகிறது.
Cricket
Jayasuriya Hands Over Resignation as Sri Lanka Head Coach
Cricket legend Sanath Jayasuriya has formally handed over his resignation as Head Coach of the Sri Lanka national team, following the side’s disappointing World Cup campaign.
It is learnt, the resignation was submitted on Thursday after discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva. Jayasuriya, who took charge with hopes of reviving the team’s fortunes, decided to step aside after the tournament’s poor showing.
Despite stepping down, Jayasuriya will remain involved in Sri Lankan cricket. In a significant transition, he has been assigned to lead the High Performance Centre, where he will oversee player development and the broader cricketing structure.
Sri Lanka Cricket has yet to announce a replacement for the head coach role, but officials confirmed that talks are underway to identify a candidate capable of steering the national side forward.
Cricket
Afghanistan Names New Captains for Sri Lanka Series as Rashid Khan Steps Down
Afghanistan cricket has entered a new phase of leadership as selectors announced sweeping changes ahead of their upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. Following the team’s early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup, star all-rounder Rashid Khan has been relieved of his captaincy duties. Ibrahim Zadran will now lead the T20 side, while Hashmatullah Shahidi has been entrusted with the ODI captaincy.
Despite losing the armband, Rashid remains a key figure in Afghanistan’s plans, with his name included in both squads. The selectors have opted for a balanced mix of seasoned performers and promising youngsters, signaling a strategy to rebuild while maintaining stability.
The T20 squad features explosive opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, alongside Ibrahim Zadran, who will captain the side. Veteran Mohammad Nabi adds experience, while spin remains Afghanistan’s strongest weapon with Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Sharafuddin Ashraf forming a formidable attack. Young talents like Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli have also been given opportunities, reflecting the selectors’ intent to groom the next generation.
On the other hand, Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the ODI side, supported by experienced campaigners such as Rahmat Shah and Mohammad Nabi. The batting unit includes Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while wicketkeeping duties will be shared between Gurbaz and Ikram Alikhil. The bowling attack is spearheaded by Rashid Khan, with support from Zia ur Rahman Sharifi, Farid Ahmad Malik, and Nangyal Kharotai. Reserves include Qais Ahmad, M. Saleem Safi, and Bashir Ahmad, ensuring depth across departments.
Security Concerns Cloud Series
The series, scheduled from March 13 to 25, was to feature three T20Is in Sharjah and three ODIs in Dubai. However, escalating regional tensions—sparked by reports of Iranian strikes and claims surrounding the death of Iran’s supreme leader in alleged U.S.–Israeli attacks—have raised serious doubts about security and travel. Cricket authorities are monitoring the situation closely, with contingency plans under discussion.
ODI Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (WK), Rashid Khan, A.M. Ghazanfar, Zia ur Rahman Sharifi, Farid Ahmad Malik, Nangyal Kharotai, Bila Saim.
Reserves: Qais Ahmad, M. Saleem Safi, Bashir Ahmad.
T20I Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Rahman (WK), Shahidullah Kamal, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zia ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Cricket
Jamie Siddons Appointed Head Coach of Sri Lanka Women’s Team
Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed former Australian cricketer Jamie Siddons as the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka National Women’s Team.

Siddons has served as the head coach of the Bangladesh National Men’s Team from 2007 to
2011, marking his highest level of international coaching experience.
A Level 3 qualified coach, Siddons has also served as Head Coach of the South Australia
Cricket Team (Redbacks) from 2015 to 2020 and Head Coach of the Wellington Firebirds,
New Zealand, from 2011 to 2015.
His one-year appointment will come into effect on 16 March 2026. Siddons, who enjoyed an extensive first-class cricket career in Australia and captained both South Australia and Victoria, will take on the responsibility of guiding Sri Lanka’s women’s team in preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in June in England.
His first assignment will be Sri Lanka Women’s Tour of Bangladesh, scheduled to take place in April–May 2026.
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