Andre Fletcher produced a blinder of an innings, smashing 84 runs off only 64 balls, to power the West Indies to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
Suresh Raina smashed a quickfire half-century while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced a belligerent unbeaten knock of 63 as Chennai Super Kings outclassed Sunrisers Hyderabad by 12 runs in their Champions League T20 match, in Ranchi.
This is Tharanga's second ban in recent times after he suffered a similar two-match ban for slow over-rate in the Champions Trophy when he had led the side against South Africa in the absence of then-skipper Angelo Mathews.
Sri Lanka have suffered a double injury blow with batsman Dimuth Karunaratne almost certainly out of the World Cup and spinner Rangana Herath likely to miss at least a week of action, Mahela Jayawardene said on Friday.
The hosts, chasing a mammoth 550 for a win, only managed 245 runs before their second innings folded in the final session of the penultimate day after Dimuth Karunaratne had been dismissed for 97.
Rajneesh Gupta presents statistical summary of Sunrisers Hyderabad and much more.
A ruthless India equalled their biggest victory margin, decimating a lacklustre Sri Lanka by an innings and 239 runs in the second Test to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Kumar Sangakkara, playing his final one-day international on home soil, set a record for the most runs in a calendar year as Sri Lanka thumped England by 87 runs in the last match of the series in Colombo on Tuesday.
Tillikaratane Dilshan eased to his 19th One-day International century to anchor his side to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second game of their seven-match series at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Thursday.
In reply to Sri Lanka's 411/9 declared, the Board President's XI were struggling at 31/2 after lunch on the second day, but Samson patiently built his innings and helped his side reach 287/5 when both captains agreed on a stalemate after 75 overs.
John Hastings claimed six wickets before Aaron Finch and George Bailey's attacking half-centuries powered Australia to a series clinching six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international in Dambulla on Wednesday. Australia rode on Finch's 19-ball 55 and an unbeaten 90 from Bailey to chase down 213 in 31 overs and take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Images from the World Cup first quarter-final between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Sydney, on Wednesday.
Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh scored unbeaten half-centuries to launch a strong response from Australia after Dinesh Chandimal's patient hundred pushed Sri Lanka's first-innings total to 355 on the second day of the third and final Test on Sunday.
Dhananjaya de Silva hit a maiden century and combined with Dinesh Chandimal to resurrect Sri Lanka's innings after a poor start against Australia on the opening day of the third and final Test on Saturday.
India salvaged some pride by comfortably beating Sri Lanka by 76 runs in the fifth place semi-final play-off at the ICC Under-19 World Cup, at the ICC Cricket Academy ground in Dubai, on Monday.
Senior Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal admitted that his side cannot always use 'transition phase' as an excuse for the team not doing well in recent times. Ahead of their World T20 cricket match against England on Saturday, Chandimal blamed on "inexperience of middle-order" for their inconsistent performances of late but he added that players need to "put their hands up and perform". "You cannot always say transition. We need to put our hands up. We will give our best shot in the next game," Chandimal said when asked whether a team comprising of Tillakaratne Dilshan, him, Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera can be termed as inexperienced.
Bangladesh defeated New Zealand by 77 runs to win its fourth Plate Championship title at the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. India overcame Tagenarine Chanderpaul's century to beat the West Indies by 46 runs and take fifth place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
India gave themselves a boost before next month's Twenty20 World Cup at home as Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed four wickets in their series-clinching nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final Twenty20 international on Sunday.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed six wickets as Sri Lanka fashioned an unlikely seven-wicket victory over Pakistan to go one-up in the two-Test series on Sunday.
Former chief national wrestling coach Vinod Kumar expressed relief and contentment over Delhi High Court's directive to the Centre to confer him with the Dronacharya award.
Rohit scored his third ODI double century, settled down most comfortably as India's stop-gap captain, and was India's most valuable player by a long mile. Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji list the most valuable players in the Sri Lanka ODI series.
Riding on half-centuries from skipper Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root, England put up a massive 293-7 from their 50 overs.
Sri Lanka ODI captain Upul Tharanga said the hosts will have to quickly forget the 0-3 drubbing in the Test series and draw confidence from their win over India in the ICC Champions Trophy in June.
Trent Boult produced an economical spell of bowling to take three wickets and help New Zealand to a tense three-run win over Sri Lanka in their first Twenty20 international on Thursday.
Images from Day 2 of the third and final Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo on Sunday.
Penpix of the Sri Lanka squad for the 2015 cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Sri Lanka held their nerve after a brilliant century by Jos Buttler to beat England by seven runs in the fourth one-day international at Lord's on Saturday and level the series at 2-2.
Hashim Amla's 13th One-day International century and a clinical performance in the field carried South Africa to a comfortable 75 run victory in the opener of their three-match series against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
India nearly scripted an epic win but the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka ended in a draw after a tantalising final day's cricket.
Pakistan's Yasir Shah claimed seven second innings wickets in a spectacular display of leg-spin bowling to destroy Sri Lanka.
Joe Root's third hundred powered England to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fifth One-day international in Pallekele on Thursday and kept alive their hopes in the seven-match series. After rain forced play to be suspended on Wednesday, the visitors returned to chase down a 240-run victory target and won with five balls to spare.
Chasing an elusive dream of winning their first cricket Test in India, Sri Lanka will begin their gruelling tour with a two-day tour fixture against a depleted Board President's XI, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
'We need to work on our partnerships as batters'
With the contract dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket and the players yet to resolved, the selectors have asked players to come clear on their availability for the forthcoming tour of Ireland and England.
Alex Hales wrote his name in the history books when he slammed a 60-ball ton to guide England home in a pulsating World T20 encounter against Sri Lanka.
After launching their campaign on a winning note, IPL finalists Kings XI Punjab will look to dish out another dominating performance when they face the formidable Barbados Tridents in a Group B match of the Oppo Champions League twenty20 in Mohali on Saturday.
Their pride bruised following disastrous campaigns, Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiants will look for a graceful exit from the ninth edition of the IPL when they square off against each other for one last time in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Supergiants are coming into the contest after a victory over Delhi Daredevils at the same venue, their home ground, while Punjab have lost their last two outings -- against RCB and table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad. Punjab's fourth and last win this season had come at this very ground, when they had got the better of Mumbai Indians.
Rain played spoilsport on the opening day, washing out more than two sessions, after India had recovered to 50 for two in their first innings in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, on Friday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is at the fag end of his career but opener K L Rahul said the former skipper is still a match-winner for India and continues to be an an inspiration in the dressing room.
It remains to be seen if reserve opener Ajinkya Rahane, the only player not to get a game in this series, would be included in place of Rohit Sharma or Shikhar Dhawan.