News
Sri Lanka bag series with a game to spare.
West Indies Women’s tour of Sri Lanka 2024
Sri Lanka secures ODI series victory against the West Indies after 16 years thanks to Vishmi Gunaratne’s half-century and Kavisha Dilhari’s impressive performance with both bat and ball. The five-wicket win in the second ODI in Hambantota puts Sri Lanka 2-0 up in the series with one game remaining, marking their first series win against the West Indies since 2008.
Shemaine Campbelle, the stand-in captain for the West Indies, won the toss and chose to bat first. Unfortunately, the team had a rough start as they lost key players like Stafanie Taylor and Campbelle herself within the first 15 overs. The West Indies were in deep trouble at 22/3 in the 13th over when Chedean Nation and Rashada Williams came together and formed a crucial 24-run partnership for the 4th wicket.
Sri Lanka’s Sugandika Kumari dismissed Rashada Williams, providing the 4th breakthrough for her team. The West Indies then lost a couple more wickets quickly and found themselves in a difficult situation at 54/6 in 23 overs. Aaliyah Alleyne and Afy Fletcher joined forces and managed to build another important partnership of 28 runs for the 7th wicket. However, Sri Lanka’s skipper Chamari Athapaththu dismissed Aaliyah Alleyne, securing the 7th breakthrough for her side.
In the end, the West Indies were bowled out for a mere 92 runs with 19 overs still remaining. This is their third-lowest total against Sri Lanka in the ODI format. Rashada Williams (24 off 62 balls), Aaliyah Alleyne (16 off 18 balls), and Afy Fletcher (16 off 20 balls) were the top performers with the bat for the West Indies. On the other hand, Kavisha Dilhari (6-0-20-4), Achini Kulasuriya (7-1-16-2), Sugandika Kumari (6-0-16-1), and skipper Chamari Athapaththu (2-0-8-2) were the standout performers with the ball for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka, chasing a target of 93, faced early setbacks as they lost a couple of wickets, including their skipper Chamari Athapaththu, within the first six overs of the run chase. The partnership between Kavisha Dilhari and Vishmi Gunaratne then helped them edge closer to the target with a crucial 58-run stand for the 3rd wicket. Zaida James later claimed the wicket of Gunaratne in the 17th over, marking the 3rd breakthrough for the West Indies.
Gunaratne reached her well-deserved half-century before departing. Sri Lanka successfully achieved the target with five wickets in hand and 172 balls to spare. Gunaratne (50 off 50 balls) and Dilhari (28 off 38 balls) stood out with the bat for Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Ramharack, Connell, James, and Alleyne were the standout performers with the ball for the West Indies.
Dilhari’s all-round performance, taking 4 wickets for 20 runs and contributing 28 runs with the bat, was instrumental in guiding Sri Lanka to victory in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies after 16 years.
The two sides will next meet in the third and final ODI on Friday (21) at the Hambantota Stadium.
In the ongoing Junior Davis Cup Tennis Qualifying Tournament currently being held in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka had a great weekend by defeating Saudi Arabia 3-0.
The team showed their dominance by winning both singles matches and then winning both doubles matches with comfortable margins.
Sri Lanka won the first singles match when Ashlin de Silva beat Mahdi Al Ibrahim 6-2, 7-5.
In the second singles match, Mayuran Kubern came back after losing the first set to defeat Ahmed Baha Sarouji 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Sri Lanka then continued their momentum into the doubles matches where Mayuran Kubern and Ashlin de Silva defeated the Saudi pair 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
In the other doubles match, the Sri Lankan duo was ahead in the second set 4-6 when the Saudi pair of Mahdi Al Ibrahim and Souhail ElFarouki retired from the match.
With this comprehensive win, Sri Lanka is now in a very strong position within the tournament.
The team will have a day off on Monday and is scheduled to play in the Championship on Thursday.
Nuwan Thushara is set to miss the upcoming IPL 2026 season in a significant setback for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) declined to issue him a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
The decision comes following SLC’s latest policy requiring all centrally contracted players to meet strict fitness standards before being cleared for overseas franchise leagues. Thushara reportedly failed to reach the required fitness benchmarks, leading to uncertainty over his participation and eventual exclusion.
RCB had secured the services of the Sri Lankan pacer for approximately INR 1.6 crore, viewing him as a valuable addition to their pace attack. However, his absence could now force the franchise to rethink their squad composition ahead of the tournament.
Interestingly, reports indicate that Thushara is not carrying any injury and remains available to bowl. Despite this, concerns over his overall fitness levels falling short of SLC’s criteria have ultimately ruled him out of the competition.
During his stint with RCB, Thushara featured in just one match, largely serving as a backup option. He made a notable impact in that appearance, returning figures of 1 for 26 with an impressive economy rate of 6.50, showcasing his potential when called upon.
Sri Lanka will tour India in December 2026 for an exciting white-ball series featuring three ODIs and three T20Is. The tour promises competitive cricket action across multiple iconic venues, giving fans across the country a chance to witness the matches live.
The ODI series will begin on December 13 in Delhi, followed by the second match in Bengaluru on December 16. The third and final ODI will be played in Ahmedabad on December 19.
The T20I series will kick off on December 22 in Rajkot. The action will then move to Cuttack for the second T20I on December 24, before concluding in Pune on December 27.
ODI Series
• 13 Dec – 1st ODI – Delhi
• 16 Dec – 2nd ODI – Bengaluru
• 19 Dec – 3rd ODI – Ahmedabad
T20I Series
• 22 Dec – 1st T20I – Rajkot
• 24 Dec – 2nd T20I – Cuttack
• 27 Dec – 3rd T20I – Pune
Sri Lanka Dominates Saudi Arabia in Junior Davis Cup Qualifying!
Nuwan Thushara Set to Miss IPL 2026 After SLC NOC Refusal
Sri Lanka Set for December White-Ball Tour of India
Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025: Super 8 Fixtures and Grouping
2025 Schools Rugby Season Set to Thrill Fans with Knockout and League Action
Nuwan Thushara Shines as RCB Storms into IPL 2025 Final
Sri Lanka’s Strongest Man? 💪 | Ransiru Jayathilake | Date With Sporty | Ep 7
Inside the Kandy vs CR Grand Final with Azmir Fajudeen | Date With Sporty | Ep 06 | Romanie Alvis
Date with Sporty | Safiya Yamick’s Training Secrets: A Day in the Life of a Record Holder | Ep: 5
-
Football1 year agoSri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025: Super 8 Fixtures and Grouping
-
News1 year ago2025 Schools Rugby Season Set to Thrill Fans with Knockout and League Action
-
Cricket10 months agoNuwan Thushara Shines as RCB Storms into IPL 2025 Final
-
Live4 years agoLive Broadcast of Syria vs Sri Lanka | AFC U23 Asian Championship Qualification
-
Cricket1 year agoSri Lanka’s Greatest Cricketers: Top Batters and Bowlers of All Time
-
News10 months agoMajor Shake-Up in Sports Governance: New 2025 Regulations Reform National Sports Bodies in Sri Lanka
-
Football1 year agoFFSL Rebrands Division-1 as ‘League-One’ with a Bold New Vision
-
Football11 months agoSri Lanka Announces U19 Football Squad for SAFF Championship 2025