The islanders, led by Charith Asalanka, have quietly built a formidable unit combining top-order solidity with middle-order power and a spin attack tailor-made for UAE conditions.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2026 after Game 48.
The mystery spinner even has a YouTube channel dedicated to football discussions.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2026 after Game 52.
India and Bangladesh have two points each with Suryakumar Yadav's men leading the standings owing to a superior net run rate. Sri Lanka and Pakistan occupy the third and fourth spots respectively.
Along with Hasaranga, Sri Lanka have Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana among spin bowling options.
This was Nissanka's 17th fifty-plus score in T20Is and he has now leapfrogged Kusal Mendis (16) and Kusal Perera (15) to have the most fifty-plus scores in the format for Sri Lanka.
The setback against Afghanistan leaves the Lankans with little room for error, needing them to win all three of their remaining games, including the tough match against tournament hosts India next up, to have any hope of reaching the last four.
Kusal Mendis overcame injury to score a workmanlike half-century that helped Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by three wickets in their rain-shortened ODI.
'I am really pleased with the performance. Almost a perfect game for us. The pacers did the job (but) only the last over went wrong for us.'
NZ thrash SL by 61 runs to take one step closer to semis; Ravindra shines with 4/27
Pathum Nissanka's journey from a tsunami-hit childhood in Kalutara to a match-winning T20 World Cup century is a story of sacrifice, faith and fearless batting against Australia.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Suranga Wellalage, Sri Lankan all-rounder Dunith Wellalage's father, died on September 18, the same day his son played the Asia Cup Group fixture against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.
Wellalage rejoins Sri Lanka squad after father's demise, available for Super Four clash
The remainder of PSL is set to be conducted without Hawkeye and DRS technologies as most of the technicians who handle that aspect are from India and are not expected to return.
Nissanka's cameo guides Sri Lanka to 4 wicket win over Zimbabwe in 1st T20I
ri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka smashed a belligerent century as Indian bowlers endured their worst day in the Asia Cup before Arshdeep Singh produced a brilliant 'Super Over' to win the game for his side in Dubai on Friday.
Pakistan survived a wonderful spell from an enraged spinner Wanindu Hasaranga to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in an intense Super 4 match to stay alive in the Asia Cup, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Former India wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik on Tuesday joined Sharjah Warriorz ahead of the fourth season of the ILT20.
T20 World Cups have seen some explosive batting, with a few players etching their names in history by scoring centuries. Here's a look at T20 World Cup centurions over the years.
De Silva and veteran Angelo Mathews were not included in the 16-man T20 squad but there was a place for Hasaranga.
Sri Lanka ended on the wrong side of history, slumping to their second-lowest T20I total and lowest all-out total by a Test-playing nation against Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Harare on Saturday.
In the final over, when the nerves jangled, it was Bangladesh who stayed composed and savoured the sweet taste of success. Sri Lanka's 8-match winning streak in the T20 Asia Cup came to a bitter end with this defeat.
Pathum Nissanka (50) and Kamil Mishara (46 not out) made light work of a modest target to power Sri Lanka to a comfortable six-wicket win against Bangladesh.
As GT prepares for the playoffs, the team will be hoping that players like Rutherford can continue their form and help fill the void left by Buttler's departure.
Opener Kusal Mendis struck an unbeaten 69 off 58 balls to help secure a consolation five-wicket victory for Sri Lanka, who fired with both bat and ball against Australia in the fifth and final Twenty20 international on Sunday.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Dushan Hemantha back in Sri Lanka squad
Australia, who have already secured their place in the final of the World Test Championship against South Africa, won the opening Test, also in Galle, by an innings and 242 runs.
Sri Lanka are still 518 runs behind and will need a Herculean effort to avoid the follow-on even though more rain is forecast for Saturday.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of Asia Cup 2025.
PBKS sign Kiwi pacer Jamieson for injured Ferguson; RCB skipper Patidar bats at nets
Seamer Dane Paterson took a career-best 5-71 and Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 48 as South Africa closed the third day
Jamie Smith's maiden Test century helped England take a 122-run lead on Day 3 in the first Test against Sri Lanka
Karunaratne fell for 86 in the final session but Mendis was batting on 84 at stumps
But in their pursuit of glory, both leaders must find a way to address the issues at hand.
Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis fell agonisingly short of a maiden double century but his career-best 194 propelled the hosts to 494 all out against Bangladesh in the first innings of the first Test on Wednesday.
Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya led the charge with a five-wicket haul as Bangladesh collapsed for just 133 in their second innings, handing Sri Lanka a win by an innings and 78 runs.
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