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Kusal Mendis Heroics set up Dambulla Aura’s thrilling win at Lanka Premier League

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Kusal Mendis’s 46-ball 87 set up Dambulla Aura’s thrilling 10 runs win over Colombo Strikers in the eighth match of the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023 worked off at Pallekele international stadium on Saturday (5).

After being invited to bat first, Dambulla Aura was struck with an early blow when they lost the wicket of Avishka Fernando cheaply.

However, despite a shaky start, Dambulla revived their innings with a clinical 120-run partnership between captain Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama for the second wicket.

Skipper Kusal Mendis leading from the front scored 87 off 46 before falling to Naseem Shah, while Samarawickrama scored 59 runs from 35 balls as both fell in successive overs.

At one stage it looked like Dambulla could go past the 200-run mark but a tight bowling effort towards the death overs denied such an opportunity as they were restricted to 192/6.

During the chase, Colombo Strikers were off to a similar start when they lost the first wicket that of their skipper Niroshan Dickwella with just 17 runs on the board.

Following an early breakthrough Pakistan star Babar Azam joined Pathum Nissanka in the middle and revived their innings to a certain extent with a 62-run partnership for the second wicket but it was cut short when Babar Azam was trapped LBW off Noor Ahmed’s bowling.

His partner Nissanka too failed to hang on as he departed for 22 runs.

With both st batters back in the pavilion Colombo strikers desperately needed someone to step up and change gears to aggressive mode was what exactly Nuwanindu Fernando did as he hammered unbeaten 56-runs which featured four boundaries and as many sixes to almost taking his team over the line.

Fernando glimmered a ray of hope for the Strikers to pull off the run chase with belligerent hitting but his efforts came up as his side succumbed to a 10-run defeat.

In the bowling front, Noor Ahmad claimed 2/34 while Dhananjaya de Silva and Hayden Kerr shared a wicket among them.

*Wanindu Hasaranga shine in B-Love Kandy’s thumping win over Jaffna Kings *

Meanwhile, in the other match played under lights between B-Love Kandy and Jaffna Kings, the latter thrashed defending champions by 8 wickets.

An all-round show by skipper Wanidu Hasaranga highlighted B-Love Kandy thumping win against three times Champions Jaffna Kings at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.

Wanidu Hasaranga was named player of the match for his unbeaten 52 off 22 balls, 4-0-09-3 and two catches.

*Brief Scores: *

*Dambulla Aura vs Colombo Strikers *

Dambulla Aura 192/6 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 87, Sadeera Samarawickrema 59; Naseem Shah 2-29, Chamika Karunaratne 1-55, Matheesha Pathirana 3-31) beat Colombo Strikers 182/4 in 20 overs (Barbar Azam 41, Pathum Nissnaka 22, Nuwanidu Fernando 56, Chamika Karunaratne 20; Hayden Kerr 1-27, Dhananjaya de Silva 1-25, Noor Ahamad 2-34) by ten runs

B-Love Kandy Vs Jaffna Kings

Jaffna Kings 117/9 in 20 overs (David Miller 21, Priyamal Perera 22, Dunith Wellalage 38; Angelo Mathews 2-08, Wanidu Hasarana 3-09, Isuru Udana 1-17, Nuwan Pradeep 3-36) lost to B Love Kandy 118/2 in 13 overs (Fakhar Zaman 42, Dinesh Chandimal 22, Wanidu Hasaranga 52; Maheesh Theekshana 1-35, Nandre Burger 1-17) by eight wickets

ලංකා ප්‍රිමියර් ලීග් තරඟාවලියේ කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස්ගේ දස්කම් නිසා දඹුල්ල කණ්ඩායමට තියුණු ජයක්.

2023 ලංකා ප්‍රිමියර් ලීග් (LPL) තරඟාවලියේ 8 වන තරඟයෙන් සෙනසුරාදා (5) පල්ලෙකැලේ ජාත්‍යන්තර ක්‍රීඩාංගනයේ දී ක්‍රියාත්මක වූ කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස්ගේ පන්දු 46 කදී ලකුණු 87 කින් දඹුල්ල අවුරා පිල කලම්බු ස්ට්‍රයිකර්ස් පිලට එරෙහිව ලකුණු 10 ක තියුණු ජයක් ලැබීය.

පළමුවෙන් පන්දුවට පහරදීමට ආරාධනා කිරීමෙන් අනතුරුව අවිශ්ක ප්‍රනාන්දුගේ කඩුල්ල දැවී යාමත් සමග දඹුල්ල අවුරා පිලට තරඟය ආරම්භයේදීම අපහසු විය.

කෙසේ වෙතත් ආරම්භය දෙදරා ගියද දඹුල්ල කණ්ඩායම සිය ඉනිමට පණ දුන්නේ නායක කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස් සහ සධීර සමරවික්‍රම එක්ව දෙවැනි කඩුල්ල සඳහා ලකුණු 120ක සබඳතාවක් ගොඩනැගූ බැවිනි.

එක් අවස්ථාවකදී දඹුල්ල පිලට ලකුණු 200 සීමාව පසුකර යා හැකි බව පෙනුනද, අවසන් ඕවරය දක්වා දැඩි පන්දු යැවීමක නිරත වීම නිසා ඔවුන් ලකුණු 192/6කට සීමා වීම නිසා එම අවස්ථාව අහිමි විය.

හඹා යාමේදී කලම්බු ස්ට්‍රයිකර්ස් පිලේ නායක නිරෝෂන් දික්වැල්ලගේ පළමු කඩුල්ල ලකුණු 17ක් පමණක් ලබා සිටියදී දැවී යන විටත් එවැනිම ආරම්භයක් ලබාගෙන සිටියේය.

ආරම්භක පිතිහරඹයකින් පසුව, පැතුම් නිශ්ශංක සමඟින් එක්ව දෙවැනි කඩුල්ලට ලකුණු 62ක සබඳතාවක් ගොඩනැගූ පාකිස්තානු ක්‍රීඩක බබාර් අසාම්, නූර් අහමඩ්ගේ පන්දුවකට කඩුල්ල මුවා කිරීමකට හසුවූ බබාර් අසාම් දැවී යාමත් සමඟින් ඔවුන්ගේ ඉනිම තරමක් දුරට අඩාල තත්වයකට පත් විය.

නුවනිඳු ප්‍රනාන්දු හතරේ පහර 4ක් සහ හයේ පහරවල් රැසක් සමඟින් නොදැවී ලකුණු 56ක් ලබා තම කණ්ඩායම උඩට ගෙන යාමටයි.

ප්‍රනාන්දු සටන්කාමී පහරවල් සමඟින් ලකුණු හඹා යාම සාර්ථක කර ගැනීමට ස්ට්‍රයිකර්ස් වෙත බලාපොරොත්තුවේ කිරණක් දැල්වූ නමුත් ඔහුගේ ප්‍රයත්නය ඉවත ගියේ ඔහුගේ කණ්ඩායම ලකුණු 10ක පරාජයකට පත්වීමත් සමඟය.

පන්දු යැවීමේ පෙරමුණේ නූර් අහමඩ් 2/34 ට හිමිකම් කියූ අතර ධනංජය ද සිල්වා සහ හේඩ්න් කර් ඔවුන් අතර කඩුල්ලක් බෙදා ගත්හ.

B-Love Kandy වෙතින් යාපනය කිංග්ස් පරදා වනිඳු හසරංග විශිෂ්ට ජයක්

මේ අතර, බී-ලව් මහනුවර සහ යාපනය කිංග්ස් අතර ආලෝකය යටතේ පැවැති අනෙක් තරගයෙන් කඩුලු 8 කින් වත්මන් ශූරයන් පරාජය කිරීමට අවසන් මහා ක්‍රීඩකයෝ සමත් වූහ.

නායක වනිදු හසරංග විසින් පල්ලෙකැලේ ජාත්‍යන්තර ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩාංගණයේදී තුන් වතාවක් ශූරයන් වූ යාපනය කිංග්ස් කණ්ඩායමට එරෙහිව B-Love Kandy හි පෙරළිකාර ජයග්‍රහණය ඉස්මතු කරන ලදී.

පන්දු 22කදී නොදැවී ලකුණු 52ක්, 4-0-09-3ක් සහ උඩපන්දු දෙකක් ලබාගත් වනිදු හසරංග තරගයේ වීරයා ලෙස නම් කෙරිණි.

සංක්ෂිප්ත ලකුණු:

දඹුල්ල අවුරා vs Colombo Strikers

දඹුල්ල අවුරා ඕවර 20 කදී 192/6 (කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස් 87, සධීර සමරවික්‍රම 59; නසීම් ෂා 2-29, චාමික කරුණාරත්න 1-55, මතීෂ පතිරණ 3-31) කලම්බු ස්ට්‍රයිකර්ස් 3-31, කලම්බු ස්ට්‍රයිකර්ස් 182/4 පැරදවීම ඕවර 20, පත්තම් නිස්නක 22, නුවනිදු ප්‍රනාන්දු 56, චාමික කරුණාරත්න 20, හේඩ්න් කර් 1-27, ධනංජය ද සිල්වා 1-25, නූර් අහමඩ් 2-34) ලකුණු දහයකින්

B-Love Kandy Vs Jaffna Kings

යාපනය කිංග්ස් ඕවර 20 කදී 117/9 (ඩේවිඩ් මිලර් 21, ප්‍රියමාල් පෙරේරා 22, දුනිත් වෙල්ලාලගේ 38; ඇන්ජලෝ මැතිව්ස් 2-08, වනිදු හසරණ 3-09, ඉසුරු උදාන 1-17, නුවන් ප්‍රදීප් 3-36) බී ලව් හමුවේ පරාජයට පත්විය. මහනුවර ඕවර 13 කදී 118/2 (ෆකාර් සමාන් 42, දිනේෂ් චන්දිමාල් 22, වනිදු හසරංග 52; මහේෂ් තීක්ෂණ 1-35, නන්ද්‍රේ බර්ගර් 1-17) කඩුලු 8 කින්

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Run of Hope 2026 to Unite Kandy for a Cause – Sri Lankan Sports TV Named Official Sports Network Partner

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Kandy is set to witness a powerful blend of fitness and compassion as Run of Hope – Kandy 2026 takes place on 29th March 2026 at 6:30 AM, starting from Bogambara Grounds.

Organised by the Voice for the Voiceless Foundation, this inspiring half marathon and charity run aims to raise LKR 3,000,000 to support single mothers and vulnerable families across Sri Lanka.

In a significant development, Sri Lankan Sports TV has officially partnered with the event as the Official Sports Network Partner, pledging full media coverage and digital promotion to amplify the message of hope and empowerment behind the initiative.

More Than a Race — A Movement for Change

Run of Hope 2026 is not just about crossing a finish line. It is about transforming lives.

Every registration, every step, and every kilometre contributes directly toward:

  • Empowering vulnerable women
  • Providing essential resources for struggling families
  • Creating life skills and sustainable opportunities
  • Strengthening communities through long-term support

All proceeds will directly support the foundation’s mission to create measurable and lasting impact.

Event Details

📍 Starting Point: Bogambara Grounds, Kandy
🗓 Date: 29 March 2026
Time: 6:30 AM

Participants will enjoy a breathtaking early morning route around the iconic Kandy Lake, combining scenic beauty with purpose-driven participation.

Race Categories

Whether you are a seasoned athlete or joining with family and friends, there’s a category for everyone:

🏃 2KM – Family Run
Perfect for families, children, and community supporters.

🏃 5KM – Fun Run
Ideal for casual runners seeking both enjoyment and challenge.

🏃 10KM – Expert Run
Designed for experienced runners ready to push their limits for a meaningful cause.

2KM Route Overview

Bogambara Grounds → Kandy Road → Clock Tower → Sangaraja Mawatha → Church Road → Bogambara Grounds

A safe, engaging, and scenic course suitable for all age groups.

Registration Details

  • Age 12 and below: Rs. 1,500
  • Age 13 and above: Rs. 2,500

Spots are limited, and early registration is encouraged.
Register here: https://forms.gle/XPeNesVytj1dpAbR6

Sri Lankan Sports TV’s Commitment

mmitment to supporting community-driven sporting initiatives that create real social impact.

Run with Purpose. Run for Families. Run for Hope.

On 29th March, Kandy will not just host a race — it will host a movement of compassion, unity, and resilience.

Because every mother deserves support.
Because every child deserves a future.
Because hope begins with action.

Stay tuned to Sri Lankan Sports TV for exclusive coverage and updates.

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Cricket

Sri Lanka’s Super 8 Exit: Lessons, Positives and the Road Ahead

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Sri Lanka’s journey at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup began with encouraging signs but concluded at the Super 8 stage. While the results did not go in their favour against England, New Zealand and Pakistan, the campaign offered important learning moments and valuable experience for a developing squad.

A Promising Start

Sri Lanka entered the Super 8s with confidence after a strong first-round showing.

  • Wins over Ireland, Oman and Australia
  • Positive intent in the powerplay
  • Balanced contributions from both batters and bowlers

The batting unit displayed aggression and adaptability, while the bowling attack showed discipline in containing opposition line-ups. The early phase suggested a team growing in belief and clarity.

The Super 8 Challenge

The Super 8 stage brought a step up in intensity, quality and pressure.

Against stronger opposition:

  • Early wickets placed pressure on the middle order
  • Death overs proved demanding against explosive finishers
  • Close margins — especially the narrow loss to Pakistan — highlighted how competitive the side remained

Rather than a dramatic collapse, the difference often came down to key moments not going Sri Lanka’s way.

Captain’s Leadership Under Pressure

Dasun Shanaka once again demonstrated his commitment both as a leader and a batter.

His unbeaten 76 off 31 balls against Pakistan was a reminder of his ability to absorb pressure and respond positively. Throughout the tournament, he continued to take responsibility in challenging situations.

In leadership, the margins in T20 cricket are often razor-thin. Decisions that appear balanced at the toss or mid-innings can shift rapidly depending on conditions, dew and match flow. Shanaka acknowledged those challenges with maturity, taking accountability while reinforcing belief in the squad.

Coaching Experience and Strategic Growth

Sri Lanka’s coaching panel includes some of the most respected figures in world cricket:

  • Sanath Jayasuriya – Head Coach
  • Mahela Jayawardene – Consultant
  • Lasith Malinga – Bowling Coach

Their presence reflects Sri Lanka Cricket’s commitment to blending experience with emerging talent. While the Super 8 results were disappointing, tournaments like this often serve as stepping stones in refining tactical adaptability, particularly in high-pressure knockout-style environments.

Positives to Take Forward

✔ Young players gained exposure against elite opposition
✔ Several batters showed the ability to accelerate under pressure
✔ Bowling unit created breakthroughs at key intervals
✔ Team spirit remained intact despite setbacks

Importantly, Sri Lanka remained competitive. The five-run loss to Pakistan demonstrated that the gap between victory and defeat was minimal.

The Bigger Picture

International T20 cricket continues to evolve rapidly. Conditions, dew, match-ups and momentum shifts can determine outcomes within a few overs.

Sri Lanka’s campaign underlined:

  • The importance of finishing strongly in both innings
  • Managing powerplay momentum
  • Sustaining composure in decisive overs

These are refinements rather than structural concerns.

Looking Ahead

This tournament should be viewed as part of a broader rebuilding and transition phase. The combination of experienced campaigners and emerging players offers promise for the next cycle.

Sri Lanka may not have reached the semi-finals this time, but the foundation for growth is visible. With continued consistency, fitness stability and tactical fine-tuning, the team has the ingredients to compete strongly on the global stage.

The focus now shifts from disappointment to development — and that journey continues.

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Cricket

India Storm into Semi-Finals After Samson Masterclass; Final Four Confirmed

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India sealed their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2025/26 with a thrilling five-wicket victory over West Indies at Eden Gardens on Sunday night.

Chasing a challenging 196, India reached 199/5 in 19.2 overs, powered by a sensational unbeaten 97 off 50 balls from Sanju Samson, who was named Player of the Match. The stylish right-hander smashed 12 fours and 4 sixes, anchoring the chase after early wickets fell inside the powerplay.

West Indies had earlier posted 195/4 in their 20 overs after being put in to bat. Captain Shai Hope (32) and Roston Chase (40) provided a steady start, while Rovman Powell (34*) and Jason Holder (37*) unleashed a late assault, adding 50 runs in the final 20 balls to lift the total close to 200.

India’s bowlers had moments of control, with Jasprit Bumrah picking up two crucial wickets, but the death overs proved expensive as Powell and Holder shifted gears.

In response, India lost Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan early, but Samson counter-attacked brilliantly. His 50 came off just 26 balls, setting the tone for a composed yet aggressive chase. Tilak Varma (27) and Hardik Pandya (17) provided support before Shivam Dube struck the finishing blows.

With this win, India officially confirmed their semi-final berth, joining:

  • South Africa
  • New Zealand
  • England

The final four now promises high-voltage knockout cricket as the tournament heads into its decisive stage.

India’s balanced attack, explosive middle order, and Samson’s red-hot form make them one of the favourites heading into the semi-finals.

The stage is now set for a blockbuster finish to the T20 World Cup 2025/26.

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