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KJP urges youngsters to play with the positive mindset

Published

3 years ago

April 3, 2023

Editor

Kusal Perera’s aftermath of the first T20I, which Sri Lanka won via Super Over, the southpaw urged his teammates to play with greater energy during T20 internationals.

“It’s hard to play a T20 without momentum, and to win in T20 cricket you need a batter to provide that momentum,” Perera said during the post-match conference.

“There are a lot of young players in the squad, and what I’ve told them is you have to start learning now how to handle uncomfortable situations. Bowlers aren’t going to bowl how you like, they’re going to analyse you and be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. We need to be smart in those situations.”

Perera revealed that the key to Sri Lanka’s success, on the day, was every single batter going out to bat with a positive mindset.

Earlier New Zealand had won the toss and put Sri Lanka to bat first where the islanders posted 196-5, thanks to Charith Asalanka’s top knock of 67 off 41 balls.

Kusal Perera (53), Kusal Mendis (25) and Wanindu Hasaranga (21) also played fine hands to help the tourists post a healthy 196 on the board.

In response, New Zealand lost both openers in the first two overs, but Tom Latham (27) and Daryll Mitchell (66) then shared a 63-run partnership.

Despite losing wickets, New Zealand found boundaries with regularity and stayed within touching distance of the target.

With 7 runs required to win off the last ball Ish Sodhi smashed a six-over deep mid-wicket to take the match into a super over.

In the super over New Zealand mustered just eight runs from their over, and it took the Sri Lankans just half their allotted six to get the job done as Charith Asalanka cleared the ropes from an Adam Milne slower ball and then ramped the next for four more.

“I went ahead with a positive mindset, I wasn’t thinking about how long I had been out. Likewise, all the other batters also went out with a positive mindset, and that’s how we managed to capitalise on the conditions,” Perera further added.

The knock on Sunday was Perera’s first T20I fifty in three years, and while he was satisfied with his showing, the veteran claimed that there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

“Of course being out there in the middle and playing, I’m very happy with my performance. More than that I’m happy that the team won. That said I know there’s room for improvement and that will only come as I improve my match rhythm.”

KJP තරුණයන්ගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටින්නේ ධනාත්මක මානසිකත්වයකින් ක්‍රීඩා කරන ලෙසයි

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සුපිරි ඕවරය හරහා ජයග්‍රහණය කළ පළමු විස්සයි20 තරගයෙන් පසුව කුසල් පෙරේරාගේ ප්‍රතිඵලය, සවුත්පාව් තම සගයන්ගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේ විස්සයි20 ජාත්‍යන්තර තරගවලදී වැඩි ශක්තියකින් ක්‍රීඩා කරන ලෙසයි.

“වේගයක් නොමැතිව T20 ක්‍රීඩා කිරීම දුෂ්කර ය, T20 ක්‍රිකට් ජයග්‍රහණය කිරීමට ඔබට එම වේගය ලබා දීමට පිතිකරුවෙකු අවශ්‍ය වේ,” පෙරේරා තරගයෙන් පසු සමුළුව අතරතුර පැවසීය.

“සංචිතයේ තරුණ ක්‍රීඩකයින් විශාල ප්‍රමාණයක් සිටින අතර, මම ඔවුන්ට පැවසූ දෙය නම්, ඔබ දැන් ඉගෙනීමට පටන් ගත යුතු අපහසුතාවයන් සමඟ කටයුතු කරන්නේ කෙසේද යන්නයි. පන්දු යවන්නන් ඔබ කැමති ආකාරයට පන්දු යැවීමට යන්නේ නැත, ඔවුන් ඔබව විශ්ලේෂණය කර ඔබේ ශක්තීන් සහ දුර්වලතා පිළිබඳව දැනුවත් වනු ඇත. එවැනි අවස්ථාවලදී අපි බුද්ධිමත් විය යුතුයි.”

ශ්‍රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායමේ ජයග්‍රහණයේ ප්‍රධානතම හේතුව වූයේ සෑම පිතිකරුවෙක්ම ධනාත්මක චින්තනයකින් පිතිකරණයට යාම බව පෙරේරා අනාවරණය කළේය.

මීට පෙර කාසියේ වාසිය දිනූ නවසීලන්ත කණ්ඩායම ප්‍රථමයෙන් පන්දුවට පහර දීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකා පිලට ඇරයුම් කළ අතර එහිදී ලකුණු 196-5ක් ලබා ගත් චරිත් අසලංක පන්දු 41කදී ලකුණු 67ක් රැස් කළේය.

කුසල් පෙරේරා (53), කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස් (25) සහ වනිඳු හසරංග (21) ද හොඳින් ක්‍රීඩා කරමින් සංචාරක ක්‍රීඩකයින් හට සෞඛ්‍ය සම්පන්න ලකුණු 196 ක් ලබා ගැනීමට උපකාර කළහ.

පිළිතුරු ලෙස නවසීලන්ත පිලට පළමු ඕවර දෙකේදී ආරම්භක පිතිකරුවන් දෙදෙනාම අහිමි වූ නමුත් පසුව ටොම් ලේතම් (27) සහ ඩැරල් මිචෙල් (66) ලකුණු 63 ක සම්බන්ධතාවක් ගොඩනැගූහ.

කඩුලු දැවී ගියද නවසීලන්තය විධිමත් ලෙස සීමා මායිම් සොයා ගනිමින් ඉලක්කයට ළඟා විය හැකි දුරින් රැඳී සිටියේය.

අවසන් පන්දුවේදී ජයග්‍රහණය සඳහා ලකුණු 7ක් අවශ්‍යව තිබියදී ඉෂ් සෝදි ඕවර හයේ ඩීප් මිඩ් විකට් එකක් දවාලමින් තරගය සුපිරි ඕවරයකට රැගෙන ගියේය.

සුපිරි ඕවරයේදී නවසීලන්ත පිලට ඔවුන්ගේ ඕවරයෙන් රැස්කර ගත හැකි වූයේ ලකුණු 8ක් පමණක් වූ අතර, චරිත් අසලංක ඇඩම් මිල්න්ගේ මන්දගාමී පන්දුවකින් ලණු ඉවත් කර ඊළඟ පන්දුව තවත් හතරකට වේගවත් කළ බැවින් කාර්යය ඉටු කිරීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රීඩකයන්ට ගත වූයේ ඔවුන්ගේ නියමිත හයේ භාගයක් පමණි. .

“මම ධනාත්මක මානසිකත්වයකින් ඉදිරියට ගියා. මම කොච්චර වෙලාවක් එළියට ගියාද කියලා හිතුවේ නැහැ. ඒ වගේම අනෙක් සියලුම පිතිකරුවන් ධනාත්මක මානසිකත්වයකින් එළියට ගියා. අපි කොන්දේසි වලින් ප්‍රයෝජන ගත්තෙ එහෙමයි,” පෙරේරා වැඩිදුරටත් පැවසීය. එකතු කළා.

ඉරිදා එල්ල වූ පහර වසර තුනකට පසු පෙරේරාගේ පළමු විස්සයි20 අර්ධ ශතකය වූ අතර, ඔහුගේ දස්කම් ගැන ඔහු සෑහීමකට පත්වන අතර, ප්‍රවීණයා කියා සිටියේ වැඩිදියුණු කිරීමට තවමත් ඕනෑ තරම් ඉඩ ඇති බවයි.

“ඇත්තෙන්ම මැද්දේ එළියේ ඉඳලා ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා, මගේ දක්‍ෂතාවය ගැන මම ගොඩක් සතුටු වෙනවා. ඊට වඩා කණ්ඩායම දිනපු එක ගැන මම සතුටු වෙනවා. ඒ කිව්වේ මම දන්නවා දියුණු වෙන්න ඉඩක් තියෙනවා කියලා. මම මගේ දියුණුවට පස්සේ තමයි ඒක එන්නේ කියලා. රිද්මයට ගැලපේ.”

இளைஞர்கள் நேர்மறை எண்ணத்துடன் விளையாட வேண்டும் என்று KJP கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறது

சூப்பர் ஓவர் மூலம் இலங்கை வென்ற முதல் T20I இன் குசல் பெரேராவின் பின்விளைவு, தென்பாகம் T20 சர்வதேசப் போட்டிகளில் அதிக ஆற்றலுடன் விளையாடுமாறு தனது அணியினரை வலியுறுத்தினார்.

“வேகம் இல்லாமல் டி20 விளையாடுவது கடினம், டி20 கிரிக்கெட்டில் வெற்றி பெற அந்த வேகத்தை வழங்க உங்களுக்கு ஒரு பேட்டர் தேவை” என்று போட்டிக்கு பிந்தைய மாநாட்டின் போது பெரேரா கூறினார்.

“அணியில் நிறைய இளம் வீரர்கள் உள்ளனர், நான் அவர்களிடம் கூறியது என்னவென்றால், சங்கடமான சூழ்நிலைகளை எவ்வாறு கையாள்வது என்பதை நீங்கள் இப்போது கற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். பந்து வீச்சாளர்கள் நீங்கள் விரும்பும் விதத்தில் பந்துவீசப் போவதில்லை, அவர்கள் உங்களைப் பகுப்பாய்வு செய்து உங்கள் பலம் மற்றும் பலவீனங்களை அறிந்து கொள்ளப் போகிறார்கள். இதுபோன்ற சூழ்நிலைகளில் நாம் புத்திசாலித்தனமாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.”

இலங்கையின் வெற்றிக்கான திறவுகோல், அன்றைய தினம், ஒவ்வொரு பேட்டரும் நேர்மறையான மனநிலையுடன் பேட்டிங் செய்யச் செல்வதே என்று பெரேரா வெளிப்படுத்தினார்.

முன்னதாக நியூசிலாந்து டாஸ் வென்று இலங்கையை முதலில் பேட் செய்ய வைத்தது, அங்கு தீவுவாசிகள் 196-5 ரன்களை எடுத்தனர், சரித் அசலங்காவின் அதிகபட்ச 41 பந்துகளில் 67 ரன்களுக்கு நன்றி.

குசல் பெரேரா (53), குசல் மெண்டிஸ் (25) மற்றும் வனிந்து ஹசரங்க (21) ஆகியோரும் சிறப்பாக விளையாடி சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகளுக்கு ஆரோக்கியமான 196 ரன்களை எடுக்க உதவினார்கள்.

பதிலுக்கு, நியூசிலாந்து முதல் இரண்டு ஓவர்களில் இரு தொடக்க ஆட்டக்காரர்களையும் இழந்தது, ஆனால் டாம் லாதம் (27) மற்றும் டேரில் மிட்செல் (66) பின்னர் 63 ரன்கள் பார்ட்னர்ஷிப்பைப் பகிர்ந்து கொண்டனர்.

விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்த போதிலும், நியூசிலாந்து வழக்கமான எல்லைகளை கண்டது மற்றும் இலக்கை தொடும் தூரத்தில் இருந்தது.

கடைசி பந்தில் வெற்றிக்கு 7 ரன்கள் தேவை என்ற நிலையில், இஷ் சோதி சிக்ஸர் ஓவரில் டீப் மிட் விக்கெட்டை அடித்து ஆட்டத்தை சூப்பர் ஓவருக்கு கொண்டு சென்றார்.

சூப்பர் ஓவரில் நியூசிலாந்து தனது ஓவரில் வெறும் 8 ரன்களை மட்டுமே எடுத்தது, மேலும் சரித் அசலங்கா ஆடம் மில்னே ஸ்லோயர் பந்தில் இருந்து கயிற்றை துடைத்ததால், அடுத்ததை மேலும் நான்கு ரன்களுக்கு உயர்த்தியதால், அந்த வேலையைச் செய்ய இலங்கை வீரர்கள் அவர்களுக்கு ஒதுக்கப்பட்ட சிக்ஸரில் பாதி மட்டுமே தேவைப்பட்டது. .

“நான் நேர்மறையான மனநிலையுடன் முன்னேறினேன், எவ்வளவு நேரம் நான் அவுட்டாக இருந்தேன் என்பதைப் பற்றி நான் யோசிக்கவில்லை. அதேபோல், மற்ற அனைத்து பேட்டர்களும் நேர்மறையான மனநிலையுடன் வெளியேறினர், அதனால்தான் நாங்கள் நிலைமைகளைப் பயன்படுத்திக் கொள்ள முடிந்தது,” பெரேரா மேலும் கூறினார். சேர்க்கப்பட்டது.

ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை அடித்தது பெரேராவின் மூன்று ஆண்டுகளில் முதல் T20I அரைசதம் ஆகும், மேலும் அவர் தனது காட்சியில் திருப்தி அடைந்தபோது, முன்னேற்றத்திற்கு இன்னும் நிறைய இடங்கள் இருப்பதாக மூத்த வீரர் கூறினார்.

“நிச்சயமாக நடுவில் வெளியே இருந்து விளையாடி, எனது செயல்திறனில் நான் மிகவும் மகிழ்ச்சியடைகிறேன். அதைவிட அணி வெற்றி பெற்றதில் நான் மகிழ்ச்சியடைகிறேன். அதில் முன்னேற்றத்திற்கு இடம் இருக்கிறது என்று எனக்குத் தெரியும், நான் என்னை மேம்படுத்தினால் மட்டுமே அது வரும். மேட்ச் ரிதம்.”

Cricket

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand in T20 World Cup: Head-to-Head Record, Past Results & Winning Trends

Published

1 day ago

February 24, 2026

Editor

As Sri Lanka prepare to face New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, history shows a competitive rivalry — but one where the Black Caps hold a slight statistical edge.

Here’s a closer look at the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand head-to-head record, their T20 World Cup results, and recent winning momentum.

Overall T20 Head-to-Head Record

Total Matches: 28
New Zealand Wins: 16
Sri Lanka Wins: 11
No Result: 1

New Zealand have won 57% of the encounters, giving them the overall advantage. However, Sri Lanka have delivered key performances on the World Cup stage.

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand – T20 World Cup History

2007 – Sri Lanka’s Dominant Chase

Johannesburg
New Zealand: 164/7
Sri Lanka: 168/3 (18.5 overs)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets

Sanath Jayasuriya’s 61 guided Sri Lanka to a comfortable chase. It remains one of Sri Lanka’s strongest T20 World Cup wins over New Zealand.

2010 – Last-Ball Drama

Providence
Sri Lanka: 135/6
New Zealand: 139/8 (19.5 overs)
Result: New Zealand won by 2 wickets

Sri Lanka defended hard, but New Zealand held their nerve to win with one ball remaining.

2012 – Thriller in Pallekele

Pallekele
New Zealand: 174/7
Sri Lanka: 174/6
Match tied – Sri Lanka won Super Over

One of the most dramatic T20 World Cup games between the two sides. Sri Lanka held their composure in the Super Over on home soil.

2022 – New Zealand’s Big Win

Sydney
New Zealand: 167/7
Sri Lanka: 102 all out
Result: New Zealand won by 65 runs

A heavy defeat for Sri Lanka, marked by a batting collapse while chasing 168.

Recent Form Comparison

New Zealand – Last 5 Matches

W, W, L, W, Abandoned
Strong consistency
Clinical in pressure situations

Sri Lanka – Last 5 Matches

W, W, W, L, L
Positive run earlier
Slight dip in recent matches

New Zealand appear slightly more consistent heading into recent contests, while Sri Lanka’s form has fluctuated.

Key Trends from Past Meetings

Sri Lanka Succeed When Chasing Well

Both their World Cup successes (2007 and 2012 Super Over) came when they handled pressure calmly.

New Zealand Dominate with Bowling Discipline

In 2010 and 2022, New Zealand’s structured bowling attacks made the difference.

Big Margins Favour New Zealand

Sri Lanka’s wins tend to be controlled or tight.
New Zealand’s wins often come through dominant bowling or strong finishing.

Winning Edge: Who Holds It

New Zealand Advantage: Overall record, recent dominant World Cup win (2022), balanced bowling attack.
Sri Lanka Advantage: Ability to thrive in pressure moments, strong spin resources, better familiarity with subcontinental conditions.

Final Analysis

New Zealand hold the statistical upper hand in T20 internationals and recent World Cup meetings. However, Sri Lanka have proven they can rise in high-pressure tournament moments — particularly when chasing or playing at home.

For Sri Lanka to shift the balance, they must:

Avoid middle-order collapses
Strike early in the Powerplay
Control New Zealand’s middle overs
Execute death bowling with precision

With history showing close contests and dramatic finishes, the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand rivalry remains one of the more balanced matchups in T20 World Cup cricket.

Cricket

England Begin Super Eights with Statement Win as Sri Lanka Falter in Chase

Published

3 days ago

February 22, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka’s Super Eight campaign at the T20 World Cup 2026 suffered a major blow in Kandy on Sunday, as co-hosts fell to a comprehensive 51-run defeat against England cricket team, leaving their semi-final prospects under pressure.

Electing to field first on a slow pitch at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka’s bowlers made early inroads and restricted England to 146/9, defending a modest total with a disciplined effort that saw several tight overs in the middle phase.

Phil Salt was the standout performer with the bat for England, anchoring their innings with a crucial 62 off 36 balls, while other batters struggled to accelerate.

However, it was England’s bowling and fielding — led by an impressive all-round showing from Will Jacks — that ultimately decided the contest. Jacks’ left-arm spin delivered a match-turning spell of 3/22 in four overs, and he also chipped in with vital lower-order runs that helped tilt the momentum fully in England’s favour.

“I thought we executed our plans really well with the ball,” Jacks said after being named Player of the Match. “We knew the conditions would be tough, and credit to our bowlers for sticking to their lengths and building pressure.”

Sri Lanka’s Chase Falls Apart

Chasing a target of 147, Sri Lanka never recovered from a top-order collapse. After losing early wickets in the Powerplay, the home side slumped to 34/5, leaving the middle and lower order with an uphill task.

Captain Dasun Shanaka was among the few who offered resistance, scoring a gritty 30, but there was little support around him as the innings deteriorated rapidly. Sri Lanka were eventually bundled out for 95 in 16.4 overs, failing to adapt to England’s bowling pressure on a slow surface.

“It’s disappointing,” Shanaka said post-match. “We knew runs wouldn’t come easy, but we didn’t build partnerships. We let ourselves down in crucial moments.”

What It Means for Sri Lanka

England’s victory gives them a valuable boost in Super Eight Group 2, strengthening their bid for a semi-final spot. For Sri Lanka, the loss raises questions about their batting depth and ability to chase under pressure, especially after entering the Super Eights with solid momentum from the group stage.

With their next match looming, Sri Lanka must regroup quickly if they are to keep their World Cup ambitions alive on home soil.

Cricket

Sri Lanka Stunned by Zimbabwe Despite 178 as Bowling Falters in Colombo

Published

6 days ago

February 19, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup campaign suffered a major setback as they went down to Zimbabwe by six wickets at the R. Premadasa Stadium — a result few predicted before the first ball was bowled.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Sri Lanka posted what appeared to be a competitive 178/7. But defensive bowling and a lack of control in key moments allowed Zimbabwe to chase down 179 with three balls to spare, finishing on 182/4 in 19.3 overs.

Where Sri Lanka Lost the Game

Strong Start, Poor Finish with the Bat

Sri Lanka flew out of the blocks, scoring 61 runs in the Powerplay.

Pathum Nissanka led the charge with a fluent 62 off 41 balls.
The opening stand raced to 54 inside five overs.

However, momentum dipped sharply in the middle overs:

Kusal Mendis struggled (14 off 20).
The run rate slowed between overs 7–14.
Despite a late push from Pavan Rathnayake (44 off 25), Sri Lanka managed only 28 runs in the final three overs.

From a position of dominance at 108/2, they could not push beyond the 185–190 mark — a total that, in hindsight, proved costly.

Failure to Strike Early with the Ball

Zimbabwe’s chase was built on a solid foundation:

55 runs in the Powerplay without losing a wicket.
69-run opening stand removed early pressure.

Sri Lanka never truly regained control.

The Raza–Bennett Counterattack

The turning point came when captain Sikandar Raza launched a brutal counterattack:

45 off 26 balls
4 sixes
50-run partnership in just 27 balls

Brian Bennett anchored the chase superbly with an unbeaten 63 off 48.

Raza’s assault in overs 15–18 shifted the momentum completely, taking the game away from Sri Lanka just when it seemed evenly poised.

Bowling Concerns Under Lights

Sri Lanka’s bowling lacked penetration:

Maheesh Theekshana conceded 47 in 3.3 overs (13.42 economy).
No early breakthroughs from the seamers.
Only one Powerplay wicket across both innings combined.

On a Colombo surface that slowed slightly, Zimbabwe adapted better, rotating strike efficiently before accelerating at the death.

Key Numbers That Hurt Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe Powerplay: 55/0
Sri Lanka Powerplay wickets: 0
Zimbabwe scored 150 in just 16.1 overs
Sri Lanka conceded 9.33 runs per over in the chase

What This Means

Sri Lanka entered as favourites, especially batting first at home. But tactical lapses, middle-over stagnation, and expensive spells under pressure proved decisive.

Zimbabwe, disciplined with the ball and fearless in the chase, fully deserved their two points.

For Sri Lanka, questions now emerge: