May 6 (BBC) - McLaren’s Lando Norris beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with help from the safety car to take his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris jumped to the front because he was able to make his pit stop when a safety car was deployed at about half distance while others had already stopped.
Verstappen was unable to keep pace with Norris when the race restarted with 27 laps to go, and the Briton stretched ahead, while the world champion had to settle for second ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
"About time, huh?" Norris, 24, said after victory in his 110th grand prix.
“The whole weekend has been good. I’ve had a few setbacks along the way. I knew on Friday we had the pace and just a couple of mistakes here and there but today we managed to put it together, we put the perfect strategy, it all paid off."
In addition to a bit of luck and timing, Norris’ victory was based on genuine pace - he was the quickest car on track once he was released from behind the struggling Red Bull of Sergio Perez when the Mexican made an early pit stop for tyres on lap 17.
From then until the safety car for a collision between Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen at Turn Three, Norris turned on the pace and set the foundations for his win.
The fact that this was not the usual cruise to victory for Verstappen was obvious when he missed the chicane on lap 21 and displaced a bollard. Red Bull said after the race it had damaged his floor and cost performance.
The virtual safety car had to be deployed for half a lap to clear the debris from the track. Verstappen pitted two laps later, and rejoined 10 seconds behind Norris.
But despite having fresher tyres, Verstappen did not close on Norris - in fact the McLaren started to pull away.
And when the safety car was deployed Norris had a sufficient advantage to pit and come out still in the lead.
There was a bit of confusion when the safety car picked up Verstappen rather than Norris and the field had to be let past to run around and catch up behind Norris, but now it came down to a straight fight between the McLaren and the Red Bull.
Usually, Verstappen would have been expected to pass Norris, and the Briton made it difficult for himself with a nervy restart which gave Verstappen the chance to think about a pass at Turn One.
But the combination of the pace of the upgraded McLaren and Verstappen struggling with a lack of front grip meant Norris was able to stretch away, turning the tables on Verstappen, on whom Norris inflicted the pain the Dutchman usually does on the rest of the field.
In doing so, and winning by nearly eight seconds, he became the first driver to beat Verstappen on track when he had finished the race since Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in Singapore in September last year.
Behind them, Leclerc drove a strong race to stay within two seconds of Verstappen despite making his pit stop for tyres four laps before the Red Bull driver.
His team-mate Carlos Sainz finished fourth on the track, but lost that place after being penalised for colliding with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri when passing the Australian with 17 laps to go.
Sainz had been angered by Piastri forcing him off the track when he passed the Ferrari at Turn 11 a few laps earlier, after which Sainz complained vociferously on the radio that he should be given the place back. But the stewards did not agree and felt Piastri had done nothing wrong.
The collision wrecked Piastri’s front wing and he had to stop for it to be replaced. Sainz managed to get away with minimal damage but after the race the stewards penalised him five seconds, dropping him to fifth behind Perez.
Lewis Hamilton had an eventful race in his Mercedes, battling first with Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas and then Yuki Tsunoda’s RB to take sixth, just a second behind Perez, ahead of the Japanese and the second Mercedes of George Russell.
And Fernando Alonso recovered from a poor qualifying in the Aston Martin - the Spaniard started only 15th - to take ninth place, passing the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, who took the final point for 10th place.
- When is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?
Round seven of the Formula 1 season heads to Italy and the legendary Imola circuit, from 17-19 May.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was added to the shortened calendar during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and was intended as a "one-off" event. It returned again in 2021 and 2022 but last year, the race weekend had to be cancelled because of major flooding in the region.
With 2024 marking 30 years since the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, tributes are expected to take place across the three days.
On race day, four-time F1 title winner Sebastian Vettel will be taking to the track to drive Senna's McLaren MP4/8 from 1993.
]]>May 6 (BBC) - McLaren’s Lando Norris beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with help from the safety car to take his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris jumped to the front because he was able to make his pit stop when a safety car was deployed at about half distance while others had already stopped.
Verstappen was unable to keep pace with Norris when the race restarted with 27 laps to go, and the Briton stretched ahead, while the world champion had to settle for second ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
"About time, huh?" Norris, 24, said after victory in his 110th grand prix.
“The whole weekend has been good. I’ve had a few setbacks along the way. I knew on Friday we had the pace and just a couple of mistakes here and there but today we managed to put it together, we put the perfect strategy, it all paid off."
In addition to a bit of luck and timing, Norris’ victory was based on genuine pace - he was the quickest car on track once he was released from behind the struggling Red Bull of Sergio Perez when the Mexican made an early pit stop for tyres on lap 17.
From then until the safety car for a collision between Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen at Turn Three, Norris turned on the pace and set the foundations for his win.
The fact that this was not the usual cruise to victory for Verstappen was obvious when he missed the chicane on lap 21 and displaced a bollard. Red Bull said after the race it had damaged his floor and cost performance.
The virtual safety car had to be deployed for half a lap to clear the debris from the track. Verstappen pitted two laps later, and rejoined 10 seconds behind Norris.
But despite having fresher tyres, Verstappen did not close on Norris - in fact the McLaren started to pull away.
And when the safety car was deployed Norris had a sufficient advantage to pit and come out still in the lead.
There was a bit of confusion when the safety car picked up Verstappen rather than Norris and the field had to be let past to run around and catch up behind Norris, but now it came down to a straight fight between the McLaren and the Red Bull.
Usually, Verstappen would have been expected to pass Norris, and the Briton made it difficult for himself with a nervy restart which gave Verstappen the chance to think about a pass at Turn One.
But the combination of the pace of the upgraded McLaren and Verstappen struggling with a lack of front grip meant Norris was able to stretch away, turning the tables on Verstappen, on whom Norris inflicted the pain the Dutchman usually does on the rest of the field.
In doing so, and winning by nearly eight seconds, he became the first driver to beat Verstappen on track when he had finished the race since Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in Singapore in September last year.
Behind them, Leclerc drove a strong race to stay within two seconds of Verstappen despite making his pit stop for tyres four laps before the Red Bull driver.
His team-mate Carlos Sainz finished fourth on the track, but lost that place after being penalised for colliding with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri when passing the Australian with 17 laps to go.
Sainz had been angered by Piastri forcing him off the track when he passed the Ferrari at Turn 11 a few laps earlier, after which Sainz complained vociferously on the radio that he should be given the place back. But the stewards did not agree and felt Piastri had done nothing wrong.
The collision wrecked Piastri’s front wing and he had to stop for it to be replaced. Sainz managed to get away with minimal damage but after the race the stewards penalised him five seconds, dropping him to fifth behind Perez.
Lewis Hamilton had an eventful race in his Mercedes, battling first with Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas and then Yuki Tsunoda’s RB to take sixth, just a second behind Perez, ahead of the Japanese and the second Mercedes of George Russell.
And Fernando Alonso recovered from a poor qualifying in the Aston Martin - the Spaniard started only 15th - to take ninth place, passing the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, who took the final point for 10th place.
- When is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?
Round seven of the Formula 1 season heads to Italy and the legendary Imola circuit, from 17-19 May.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was added to the shortened calendar during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and was intended as a "one-off" event. It returned again in 2021 and 2022 but last year, the race weekend had to be cancelled because of major flooding in the region.
With 2024 marking 30 years since the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, tributes are expected to take place across the three days.
On race day, four-time F1 title winner Sebastian Vettel will be taking to the track to drive Senna's McLaren MP4/8 from 1993.
]]>
ICC - Sri Lanka joined Scotland as the two teams to head to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 from the Qualifier tournament in Abu Dhabi – the duo will now contest in the final on Tuesday.
Put in to bat, Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne began well for Sri Lanka – while Gunaratne got into the swing of things with two fours in the second over, Athapaththu cracked back-to-back sixes in the next over.
By the end of the Powerplay, they had put 48 runs on the board as Sri Lanka made a rousing start in the semi-final.
UAE soon turned to their X factor with the ball – Vaishnave Mahesh – and the leg-spinner struck in her very first over with the big scalp of Athapaththu, stumped after some good work by wicketkeeper Theertha Satish.
Vishmi and Harshita Madavi continued to keep the scoreboard ticking as UAE looked to slow the scoring rate down with spin.
Vaishnave struck again in the 16th over, sending back Harshitha for a 27-ball 24. Esha Oza then snared two in an over to give UAE a boost in the next over.
She had Vishmi stumped by teasing her with a delivery well outside off-stump before trapping Hasini Perera in front off the fifth ball of the over.
A few late blows from Kavisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva took Sri Lanka to 149/6.
In response, Oza was in the mood to swing hard and the UAE skipper raced to 25 off 18 balls in the first six overs, despite losing her opening partner early.
Oza played some sublime strokes to put pressure on Sri Lanka despite the daunting target, and Khushi Sharma joined hands with her as UAE’s run-rate picked up.
Sugandika Kumari got rid of Khushi in the 10th over, but Oza continued to plunder runs, completing her half-century off just 34 balls.
Athapaththu sent back Kavisha Egodage and Prabodhani eventually bowled Oza after a brilliant 44-ball 66 – the wickets put the breaks on UAE’s charge.
Sri Lanka eventually completed a convincing 15-run win to book a spot in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 later this year in Bangladesh.
They will meet Scotland, who beat Ireland in the other semi-final, in the final of the Qualifier on Tuesday.
]]>ICC - Sri Lanka joined Scotland as the two teams to head to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 from the Qualifier tournament in Abu Dhabi – the duo will now contest in the final on Tuesday.
Put in to bat, Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne began well for Sri Lanka – while Gunaratne got into the swing of things with two fours in the second over, Athapaththu cracked back-to-back sixes in the next over.
By the end of the Powerplay, they had put 48 runs on the board as Sri Lanka made a rousing start in the semi-final.
UAE soon turned to their X factor with the ball – Vaishnave Mahesh – and the leg-spinner struck in her very first over with the big scalp of Athapaththu, stumped after some good work by wicketkeeper Theertha Satish.
Vishmi and Harshita Madavi continued to keep the scoreboard ticking as UAE looked to slow the scoring rate down with spin.
Vaishnave struck again in the 16th over, sending back Harshitha for a 27-ball 24. Esha Oza then snared two in an over to give UAE a boost in the next over.
She had Vishmi stumped by teasing her with a delivery well outside off-stump before trapping Hasini Perera in front off the fifth ball of the over.
A few late blows from Kavisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva took Sri Lanka to 149/6.
In response, Oza was in the mood to swing hard and the UAE skipper raced to 25 off 18 balls in the first six overs, despite losing her opening partner early.
Oza played some sublime strokes to put pressure on Sri Lanka despite the daunting target, and Khushi Sharma joined hands with her as UAE’s run-rate picked up.
Sugandika Kumari got rid of Khushi in the 10th over, but Oza continued to plunder runs, completing her half-century off just 34 balls.
Athapaththu sent back Kavisha Egodage and Prabodhani eventually bowled Oza after a brilliant 44-ball 66 – the wickets put the breaks on UAE’s charge.
Sri Lanka eventually completed a convincing 15-run win to book a spot in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 later this year in Bangladesh.
They will meet Scotland, who beat Ireland in the other semi-final, in the final of the Qualifier on Tuesday.
]]>
May 5 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka’s elite athletes, Yupun Abeykoon, Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, and Gayanthika Abeyrathna, failed to reach the Olympic standards following an unimpressive performance at the UAE Grand Prix held at the Police Grounds in Dubai.
South Asia’s fastest sprinter and Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist Abeykoon finished the Men’s 100m event with a time of 10.18s and secured third place. The Olympic qualifying standard time for the event is 10.00s.
Meanwhile, Asian Games Bronze Medalist Nadeesha Ramanayake finished the Women’s 400m event with a time of 53.82s and secured second place, with the Olympic qualifying standard time for the event being 50.95s.
In addition, Hangzhou Gold Medalists Tharushi Karunarathna and Gayanthika Abeyrathna both failed to impress in the Women’s 800m event. Tharushi pulled out midway through the race, while Gayanthika finished last. The Olympic qualifying standard time for this event is 1:59.30s.
Tharushi pulled out of the race due to fatigue and not due to any injuries, Sri Lanka Athletic (SLA) Secretary Saman Gunawardena said today.
Despite the setback in the UAE, Director General of the Sports Development Department of the Ministry of Sports, Dr. Shemal Fernando, said that they are optimistic that Sri Lanka’s athletes will reach the qualifying standard in the upcoming events.
The deadline for athletes to qualify for the Paris Olympics is June 30.
Meanwhile, Tharushi, Nadeesha, and Kalinga Kumarage will participate in the 11th Kinami Michitaka Memorial Athletics Meet on May 12 in Osaka, Japan.
International competitions for Sri Lanka’s elite athletes:
- May 12: Osaka, Japan - 11th Kinami Michitaka Memorial Athletics Meet (Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, and Kalinga Kumarage)
- May 19: Tokyo, Japan - Seiko Grand Prix (Kalinga Kumarage)
- May 20–21: Bangkok, Thailand - Asian Relay Championships (22-member team to participate in all five relays)
- May 27–29: Chongqing, China: The Second Belt and Road Athletics Invitation Meeting (Aruna Dharshana and Dilhani Lekamge)
- June 1–2: Taiwan Open Championships (Aruna Dharshana, Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, Gayanthika Abeyrathna, and Dilhani Lekamge)
- June 14–15: Mokpo, China: Asian Throwing Championships (Dilhani Lekamge and Sumedha Ranasinghe)
]]>May 5 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka’s elite athletes, Yupun Abeykoon, Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, and Gayanthika Abeyrathna, failed to reach the Olympic standards following an unimpressive performance at the UAE Grand Prix held at the Police Grounds in Dubai.
South Asia’s fastest sprinter and Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist Abeykoon finished the Men’s 100m event with a time of 10.18s and secured third place. The Olympic qualifying standard time for the event is 10.00s.
Meanwhile, Asian Games Bronze Medalist Nadeesha Ramanayake finished the Women’s 400m event with a time of 53.82s and secured second place, with the Olympic qualifying standard time for the event being 50.95s.
In addition, Hangzhou Gold Medalists Tharushi Karunarathna and Gayanthika Abeyrathna both failed to impress in the Women’s 800m event. Tharushi pulled out midway through the race, while Gayanthika finished last. The Olympic qualifying standard time for this event is 1:59.30s.
Tharushi pulled out of the race due to fatigue and not due to any injuries, Sri Lanka Athletic (SLA) Secretary Saman Gunawardena said today.
Despite the setback in the UAE, Director General of the Sports Development Department of the Ministry of Sports, Dr. Shemal Fernando, said that they are optimistic that Sri Lanka’s athletes will reach the qualifying standard in the upcoming events.
The deadline for athletes to qualify for the Paris Olympics is June 30.
Meanwhile, Tharushi, Nadeesha, and Kalinga Kumarage will participate in the 11th Kinami Michitaka Memorial Athletics Meet on May 12 in Osaka, Japan.
International competitions for Sri Lanka’s elite athletes:
- May 12: Osaka, Japan - 11th Kinami Michitaka Memorial Athletics Meet (Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, and Kalinga Kumarage)
- May 19: Tokyo, Japan - Seiko Grand Prix (Kalinga Kumarage)
- May 20–21: Bangkok, Thailand - Asian Relay Championships (22-member team to participate in all five relays)
- May 27–29: Chongqing, China: The Second Belt and Road Athletics Invitation Meeting (Aruna Dharshana and Dilhani Lekamge)
- June 1–2: Taiwan Open Championships (Aruna Dharshana, Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, Gayanthika Abeyrathna, and Dilhani Lekamge)
- June 14–15: Mokpo, China: Asian Throwing Championships (Dilhani Lekamge and Sumedha Ranasinghe)
]]>
May 5 (Daily Mirror) - Moving into World Cup tournaments, Sri Lanka selectors have traditionally faced difficult challenges in relation to squad selection. From time to time, the selectors have made tough calls; some of which have paid off and some turned out to be shocking mistakes - such as leaving out a young Wanindu Hasaranga as a reserve player to include Jeffery Vandersay and Jeevan Mendis in the squad for the ODI World Cup in 2019.
Usually, the selectors have always had trouble picking the spinners or batsmen, as the country did not have a lot to select from in terms of fast bowlers. However, arguably for the first time in history, the national selectors will have a very hard choice to make when they name possibly three or four fast bowlers in the final 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.
In the preliminary squad, Sri Lanka have got Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Promod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara, and Binura Fernando. Selectors will ideally go with four fast bowlers, considering that all-rounders Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka are almost certain to be in the Playing XI.
Asitha Fernando is probably Sri Lanka's best fast bowler in Test cricket. He has got decent pace and swings the new ball to cause enough trouble for batsmen, but most importantly, he is Sri Lanka's Neil Wagner - when the going gets tough, the captains tend to switch on the chin music through Fernando. However, he is probably the least likely to be named in the World Cup squad based on his T20 performances.
On the other hand, Binura Fernando has been given a lot of opportunities in the recent past. The lanky medium pacer has had plenty of injuries throughout his career and is probably the slowest bowler in the preliminary squad. However, drop-in pitches are expected to be used in the USA for the World Cup, and his variations could come in handy in such conditions.
Promod Madushan, like Binura Fernando, has been representing Sri Lanka a lot in the shorter formats, but that's mainly down to the fact that the senior men were injured. He has done well with the new ball, but in T20s, bowling death overs is hugely instrumental to the team's success, and perhaps that's not his strong suit.
Left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka made a name for himself when Sri Lanka lifted the Asia Cup a couple of years ago - very famously dismissing Virat Kohli with a brilliant in-swinger, but there has been a massive drop in his form in the last few months as he has been reduced to the bench. Should he find his rhythm back, he would be very hard to overlook.
Lahiru Kumara has been really inconsistent over the years, but in the recent past he has appeared to lose some pace in order to gain much-needed control over his bowling. But then again, is he one of Sri Lanka's top four fast bowlers going into the World Cup? This remains a big question mark.
Matheesha Pathirana - given his form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - is likely to be one of the first to be named in the Playing XI should he remain fit. However, it is concerning that the former Trinity quick missed a few games for CSK through an injury he has been carrying for a few weeks now.
Nuwan Thushara is also considered another 'Baby Malinga' given his action similar to that of former great Lasith Malinga, but what Thushara and Pathirana offer is absolutely different. While Pathirana is a death-over monster - CSK barely gives him an opportunity with the new ball. On the other hand, Thushara, who is far less in terms of pace, bowls superbly with the new ball, and demolishing Bangladesh single-handedly a couple of months ago is a fine example of that, but he is probably not at the same level at the death. It's crazy to think that Sri Lanka had someone with both of these characteristics for nearly 15 years in Lasith Malinga - some things are not loved enough until they are gone.
Dushmantha Chameera has been Sri Lanka's spearhead in the post-Malinga era, but like Lahiru Kumara and Binura Fernando, he has been injured a lot. He is currently playing in the IPL on absolutely flat wickets, with not much success, but he should get more assistance from the wickets in the USA.
]]>May 5 (Daily Mirror) - Moving into World Cup tournaments, Sri Lanka selectors have traditionally faced difficult challenges in relation to squad selection. From time to time, the selectors have made tough calls; some of which have paid off and some turned out to be shocking mistakes - such as leaving out a young Wanindu Hasaranga as a reserve player to include Jeffery Vandersay and Jeevan Mendis in the squad for the ODI World Cup in 2019.
Usually, the selectors have always had trouble picking the spinners or batsmen, as the country did not have a lot to select from in terms of fast bowlers. However, arguably for the first time in history, the national selectors will have a very hard choice to make when they name possibly three or four fast bowlers in the final 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.
In the preliminary squad, Sri Lanka have got Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Promod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara, and Binura Fernando. Selectors will ideally go with four fast bowlers, considering that all-rounders Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka are almost certain to be in the Playing XI.
Asitha Fernando is probably Sri Lanka's best fast bowler in Test cricket. He has got decent pace and swings the new ball to cause enough trouble for batsmen, but most importantly, he is Sri Lanka's Neil Wagner - when the going gets tough, the captains tend to switch on the chin music through Fernando. However, he is probably the least likely to be named in the World Cup squad based on his T20 performances.
On the other hand, Binura Fernando has been given a lot of opportunities in the recent past. The lanky medium pacer has had plenty of injuries throughout his career and is probably the slowest bowler in the preliminary squad. However, drop-in pitches are expected to be used in the USA for the World Cup, and his variations could come in handy in such conditions.
Promod Madushan, like Binura Fernando, has been representing Sri Lanka a lot in the shorter formats, but that's mainly down to the fact that the senior men were injured. He has done well with the new ball, but in T20s, bowling death overs is hugely instrumental to the team's success, and perhaps that's not his strong suit.
Left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka made a name for himself when Sri Lanka lifted the Asia Cup a couple of years ago - very famously dismissing Virat Kohli with a brilliant in-swinger, but there has been a massive drop in his form in the last few months as he has been reduced to the bench. Should he find his rhythm back, he would be very hard to overlook.
Lahiru Kumara has been really inconsistent over the years, but in the recent past he has appeared to lose some pace in order to gain much-needed control over his bowling. But then again, is he one of Sri Lanka's top four fast bowlers going into the World Cup? This remains a big question mark.
Matheesha Pathirana - given his form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - is likely to be one of the first to be named in the Playing XI should he remain fit. However, it is concerning that the former Trinity quick missed a few games for CSK through an injury he has been carrying for a few weeks now.
Nuwan Thushara is also considered another 'Baby Malinga' given his action similar to that of former great Lasith Malinga, but what Thushara and Pathirana offer is absolutely different. While Pathirana is a death-over monster - CSK barely gives him an opportunity with the new ball. On the other hand, Thushara, who is far less in terms of pace, bowls superbly with the new ball, and demolishing Bangladesh single-handedly a couple of months ago is a fine example of that, but he is probably not at the same level at the death. It's crazy to think that Sri Lanka had someone with both of these characteristics for nearly 15 years in Lasith Malinga - some things are not loved enough until they are gone.
Dushmantha Chameera has been Sri Lanka's spearhead in the post-Malinga era, but like Lahiru Kumara and Binura Fernando, he has been injured a lot. He is currently playing in the IPL on absolutely flat wickets, with not much success, but he should get more assistance from the wickets in the USA.
]]>
May 5 (INDTV) - Matheesha Pathirana has been the top performer for the defending champions with 13 wickets in just six innings at an impressive economy rate of 7.68 but is struggling with a hamstring injury and missed Chennai's last two fixtures against Punjab Kings.
In another major blow to their bowling, Chennai Super Kings confirmed Matheesha Pathirana returning to Sri Lanka to recover from his hamstring injury on Sunday. The rising Sri Lankan speedster missed Chennai's ongoing IPL 2024 clash against Punjab Kings and is doubtful for the remainder of the season.
"Chennai Super Kings pacer Matheesha Pathirana is nursing a hamstring injury and will be returning to Sri Lanka for further recovery," CSK's statement said. "The right-arm pacer played six matches in IPL 2024 picking up 13 wickets at an economy of 7.68. Chennai Super Kings wishes Pathirana a quick recovery."
The young right-arm pacer missed Chennai's last game against Punjab Kings at MA Chidambaram on May 1 but joined his teammates in Dharamsala for the reverse fixture on Sunday. However, he was not part of the starting eleven and later franchise confirmed that the player is nursing a hamstring injury and is returning to Sri Lanka for recovery.
With just three league stage games remaining, Pathirana's absence comes as a big blow to Ruturaj Gaikwad's side. Chennai are currently placed fifth in the points table with five wins in five matches and are in contention to make playoffs this season.
Chennai have lost premier pacer Deepak Chahar to side strain in the last game and the bowler is reportedly ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2024. The team's leading wicket-taker Mustafizure Rahman has also left the franchise due to Bangladesh's ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe.
]]>May 5 (INDTV) - Matheesha Pathirana has been the top performer for the defending champions with 13 wickets in just six innings at an impressive economy rate of 7.68 but is struggling with a hamstring injury and missed Chennai's last two fixtures against Punjab Kings.
In another major blow to their bowling, Chennai Super Kings confirmed Matheesha Pathirana returning to Sri Lanka to recover from his hamstring injury on Sunday. The rising Sri Lankan speedster missed Chennai's ongoing IPL 2024 clash against Punjab Kings and is doubtful for the remainder of the season.
"Chennai Super Kings pacer Matheesha Pathirana is nursing a hamstring injury and will be returning to Sri Lanka for further recovery," CSK's statement said. "The right-arm pacer played six matches in IPL 2024 picking up 13 wickets at an economy of 7.68. Chennai Super Kings wishes Pathirana a quick recovery."
The young right-arm pacer missed Chennai's last game against Punjab Kings at MA Chidambaram on May 1 but joined his teammates in Dharamsala for the reverse fixture on Sunday. However, he was not part of the starting eleven and later franchise confirmed that the player is nursing a hamstring injury and is returning to Sri Lanka for recovery.
With just three league stage games remaining, Pathirana's absence comes as a big blow to Ruturaj Gaikwad's side. Chennai are currently placed fifth in the points table with five wins in five matches and are in contention to make playoffs this season.
Chennai have lost premier pacer Deepak Chahar to side strain in the last game and the bowler is reportedly ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2024. The team's leading wicket-taker Mustafizure Rahman has also left the franchise due to Bangladesh's ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe.
]]>
May 5 (ICC) - Six-time champions Australia will commence their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign against a qualifier as the groups and fixtures for this year's event in Bangladesh were revealed on Sunday, 5 May.
Australia won a record sixth title against hosts South Africa in Cape Town last year and have been drawn alongside 2020 runners-up India, Trans-Tasman rival New Zealand, Asian side Pakistan and a qualifier team in Group A for the ninth edition of the event that will be held in Bangladesh in October.
South Africa and England are placed alongside 2016 champions West Indies, hosts Bangladesh and a second qualifier in Group B.
Each side will play four group matches at the tournament, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the cut-throat semi-finals on 17 and 18 October ahead of the Final in Dhaka on 20 October.
In total, there will be 23 matches played across 19 days in Dhaka and Sylhet, with reserve days in place for both semi-finals and the final should they be required.
- Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qualifier 1
- Group B: South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Qualifier 2
]]>May 5 (ICC) - Six-time champions Australia will commence their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign against a qualifier as the groups and fixtures for this year's event in Bangladesh were revealed on Sunday, 5 May.
Australia won a record sixth title against hosts South Africa in Cape Town last year and have been drawn alongside 2020 runners-up India, Trans-Tasman rival New Zealand, Asian side Pakistan and a qualifier team in Group A for the ninth edition of the event that will be held in Bangladesh in October.
South Africa and England are placed alongside 2016 champions West Indies, hosts Bangladesh and a second qualifier in Group B.
Each side will play four group matches at the tournament, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the cut-throat semi-finals on 17 and 18 October ahead of the Final in Dhaka on 20 October.
In total, there will be 23 matches played across 19 days in Dhaka and Sylhet, with reserve days in place for both semi-finals and the final should they be required.
- Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qualifier 1
- Group B: South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Qualifier 2
]]>
May 5 (SLC) - Sri Lanka Cricket has awarded the national rugby team a prize of US$30,000 in recognition of their victory at the Asia Rugby Division 1 Championship, where they defeated Kazakhstan in Colombo.
The decision to honor the players and coaches involved in this remarkable win was made by Sri Lanka Cricket's President, Shammi Silva, and the Executive Committee, in accordance with the organization's ongoing commitment to recognizing sporting excellence in the country.
Sri Lanka Cricket expresses great satisfaction with this achievement, as it elevates the national rugby team to the top tier of the Asian Rugby circle, which bodes well for the country's sports arena.
]]>May 5 (SLC) - Sri Lanka Cricket has awarded the national rugby team a prize of US$30,000 in recognition of their victory at the Asia Rugby Division 1 Championship, where they defeated Kazakhstan in Colombo.
The decision to honor the players and coaches involved in this remarkable win was made by Sri Lanka Cricket's President, Shammi Silva, and the Executive Committee, in accordance with the organization's ongoing commitment to recognizing sporting excellence in the country.
Sri Lanka Cricket expresses great satisfaction with this achievement, as it elevates the national rugby team to the top tier of the Asian Rugby circle, which bodes well for the country's sports arena.
]]>
Pix by: Kushan Pathiraja
]]>Pix by: Kushan Pathiraja
]]>
"After my father, in my cricket life, mostly he (Dhoni) is playing my father's role. He always takes care of me, and gives me some advice on what I have to do - similar to my father when I'm in my home," Pathirana said on CSK's Lions up close show on YouTube.
"I think that's enough. He's not telling a lot of things when I'm on the field and off the field. He's just telling me small things, but it makes a lot of difference, and it makes a lot of confidence for me. At the moment, he knows how to maintain the players. Off the field, we don't talk much. If I have to ask something from him, definitely, I'd go to him and ask him."
Pathirana has had a great IPL 2024 season so far, being the team's second-highest wicket-taker after Mustafizur Rahman (14), grabbing 13 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 7.68, including a four-wicket haul.
As for Dhoni, he has been smashing sixes in the death overs this season for a strike rate of 229.16. Rumours continue to swirl around whether this well be Dhoni's final season in the IPL, but he is yet to make a formal announcement. But inspired by him so much, Pathirana has emotionally requested Dhoni to continue at least for one more season.
"Mahi bhai, if you can play one more season, please play with us - if I'm here (chuckles)," he said.
CSK have had an unstable season this term under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. In ten matches, CSK have lost five and have won as many games, and are placed fifth on the points table.
]]>"After my father, in my cricket life, mostly he (Dhoni) is playing my father's role. He always takes care of me, and gives me some advice on what I have to do - similar to my father when I'm in my home," Pathirana said on CSK's Lions up close show on YouTube.
"I think that's enough. He's not telling a lot of things when I'm on the field and off the field. He's just telling me small things, but it makes a lot of difference, and it makes a lot of confidence for me. At the moment, he knows how to maintain the players. Off the field, we don't talk much. If I have to ask something from him, definitely, I'd go to him and ask him."
Pathirana has had a great IPL 2024 season so far, being the team's second-highest wicket-taker after Mustafizur Rahman (14), grabbing 13 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 7.68, including a four-wicket haul.
As for Dhoni, he has been smashing sixes in the death overs this season for a strike rate of 229.16. Rumours continue to swirl around whether this well be Dhoni's final season in the IPL, but he is yet to make a formal announcement. But inspired by him so much, Pathirana has emotionally requested Dhoni to continue at least for one more season.
"Mahi bhai, if you can play one more season, please play with us - if I'm here (chuckles)," he said.
CSK have had an unstable season this term under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. In ten matches, CSK have lost five and have won as many games, and are placed fifth on the points table.
]]>
May 3 (ICC) - Hosts USA have named their 15-member squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024
Former New Zealand player and 2015 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup finalist Corey Anderson has been named in USA's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
Led by 31-year-old wicket-keeper batter Monank Patel, USA's squad features some familiar names alongside performers from the recent T20I series against Canada, which they won 4-0.
In a boost for the team's bowling stocks, tearaway quick Ali Khan is fit for the tournament, shaking off a hamstring injury which kept him out of the Canada series.
The 33-year old, who has featured in several domestic leagues around the world, can also be spotted in the film clip for the official T20 World Cup anthem.
There are other familiar names in the mix, including Saurabh Netravalkar, the most capped USA player, Aaron Jones, and opener Steven Taylor, their highest run-scorer in international cricket.
Off-spinner Milind Kumar, who made his debut in the same series, has also been included in the squad.
- USA squad: Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vice-Captain), Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir. Reserve Players: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Yasir Mohammad.
All teams are allowed to make changes to their squad until 25 May, after which any alteration will require approval from ICC's Event Technical Committee.
]]>May 3 (ICC) - Hosts USA have named their 15-member squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024
Former New Zealand player and 2015 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup finalist Corey Anderson has been named in USA's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
Led by 31-year-old wicket-keeper batter Monank Patel, USA's squad features some familiar names alongside performers from the recent T20I series against Canada, which they won 4-0.
In a boost for the team's bowling stocks, tearaway quick Ali Khan is fit for the tournament, shaking off a hamstring injury which kept him out of the Canada series.
The 33-year old, who has featured in several domestic leagues around the world, can also be spotted in the film clip for the official T20 World Cup anthem.
There are other familiar names in the mix, including Saurabh Netravalkar, the most capped USA player, Aaron Jones, and opener Steven Taylor, their highest run-scorer in international cricket.
Off-spinner Milind Kumar, who made his debut in the same series, has also been included in the squad.
- USA squad: Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vice-Captain), Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir. Reserve Players: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Yasir Mohammad.
All teams are allowed to make changes to their squad until 25 May, after which any alteration will require approval from ICC's Event Technical Committee.
]]>
May 3 (ICC) - Rovman Powell will lead West Indies in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
West Indies announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be co-hosted by the Caribbean nations and the USA.
Shamar Joseph, who impressed in his Test debut series against Australia earlier this year, is now poised to mark his T20I debut after being picked in the T20 World Cup squad.
Shimron Hetmyer makes a comeback after missing the T20I series against Australia. He has been in good nick in the ongoing IPL with the Rajasthan Royals, scoring 83 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 184.44 while playing the finisher's role.
Kyle Mayers, who was part of the squad during the Australia series, was omitted as the Windies opted for a lower-order batter over an opener. Additionally, pacer Oshane Thomas has been left out of the squad.
Johnson Charles, Brandon King, and Shai Hope are expected to fill the top-order positions. The Windies boast a plethora of big hitters and all-rounders, including Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Powell, Jason Holder, Sherfane Rutherford, and Romario Shepherd, providing the team with ample options.
Akeal Hossain and Gudakesh Motie form the spin-bowling department, while the pace battery will be led by vice-captain Joseph with the support of Joseph.
- Squad: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hossain, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.
Director of West Indies Cricket Desmond Haynes spoke about the big selection calls.
“We had a very long discussion with the situation of the batting line-up," he said. "I want to state very clearly that our focus has always been (on) roles – roles that we want people to play. The situation of someone like Shamar Joseph, you really can’t question someone like him, we saw him in Australia. He ticked the boxes for us.
"It was some very close decisions, regarding the selection of Kyle Mayers and Shimron Hetmyer – but we looked at who we wanted the extra batter batting down the order.”
Part of Group C alongside Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda, the two-time Champions will kick off their campaign on 2 June against PNG in Guyana.
All teams are allowed to make changes to their squad until 25 May, after which any alteration will require approval from ICC's Event Technical Committee.
]]>May 3 (ICC) - Rovman Powell will lead West Indies in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
West Indies announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be co-hosted by the Caribbean nations and the USA.
Shamar Joseph, who impressed in his Test debut series against Australia earlier this year, is now poised to mark his T20I debut after being picked in the T20 World Cup squad.
Shimron Hetmyer makes a comeback after missing the T20I series against Australia. He has been in good nick in the ongoing IPL with the Rajasthan Royals, scoring 83 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 184.44 while playing the finisher's role.
Kyle Mayers, who was part of the squad during the Australia series, was omitted as the Windies opted for a lower-order batter over an opener. Additionally, pacer Oshane Thomas has been left out of the squad.
Johnson Charles, Brandon King, and Shai Hope are expected to fill the top-order positions. The Windies boast a plethora of big hitters and all-rounders, including Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Powell, Jason Holder, Sherfane Rutherford, and Romario Shepherd, providing the team with ample options.
Akeal Hossain and Gudakesh Motie form the spin-bowling department, while the pace battery will be led by vice-captain Joseph with the support of Joseph.
- Squad: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hossain, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.
Director of West Indies Cricket Desmond Haynes spoke about the big selection calls.
“We had a very long discussion with the situation of the batting line-up," he said. "I want to state very clearly that our focus has always been (on) roles – roles that we want people to play. The situation of someone like Shamar Joseph, you really can’t question someone like him, we saw him in Australia. He ticked the boxes for us.
"It was some very close decisions, regarding the selection of Kyle Mayers and Shimron Hetmyer – but we looked at who we wanted the extra batter batting down the order.”
Part of Group C alongside Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda, the two-time Champions will kick off their campaign on 2 June against PNG in Guyana.
All teams are allowed to make changes to their squad until 25 May, after which any alteration will require approval from ICC's Event Technical Committee.
]]>
May 3 (SLC) - The Player Auction of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 will be conducted on May 21, 2024 at the Hotel Shangri-La, Colombo starting at noon.
This is the second consecutive year that the LPL, which is growing in strength and popularity, is conducting a ‘player auction.’ During the initial three editions, the players were picked by a ‘player draft.’
Every team has the option of having a maximum of 24 and a minimum of 20 players in a squad while each squad should consist of six overseas players.
It will be mandatory to play an Under-23 player (Sri Lanka) in the playing XI. The LPL will be conducted from July 1 to 21, in Kandy, Dambulla and Colombo.
]]>May 3 (SLC) - The Player Auction of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 will be conducted on May 21, 2024 at the Hotel Shangri-La, Colombo starting at noon.
This is the second consecutive year that the LPL, which is growing in strength and popularity, is conducting a ‘player auction.’ During the initial three editions, the players were picked by a ‘player draft.’
Every team has the option of having a maximum of 24 and a minimum of 20 players in a squad while each squad should consist of six overseas players.
It will be mandatory to play an Under-23 player (Sri Lanka) in the playing XI. The LPL will be conducted from July 1 to 21, in Kandy, Dambulla and Colombo.
]]>