Gotabaya and Ranil's home in Colombo have become a picnic spot for Sri Lankans as they tour the premises. Some swam in Gotabaya's swimming pool, exercised in his gym, cooked breakfast and lunch, took a nap on the sofas, and, of course, took selfies.
Though dubbed as the 'war hero', the role of Rajapaksa in ending the conflict with the LTTE with the death of its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009 is quite divisive as he stands accused of violating human rights, a charge he vehemently denies.
It was Prime Minister Modi's first such virtual bilateral engagement with a leader of a neighbouring country. For Rajapaksa, it was the first diplomatic engagement with a leader of a foreign country after he was sworn in as prime minister.
Kolkata Knight Rogers and the Punjab Kings will do battle at the I S Bindra cricket stadium in Mohali on Saturday, April 1, afternoon.
Rajapaksa is the first president to be sworn in outside Colombo.
IMAGES from the Asia Cup Super 4s match played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai on Friday.
Off-spinner Ashian Daniel is the lone new face in the18-member Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series in India, Cricket Sri Lanka said on Monday.
Punjab Kings, who have been guilty of throwing it away in the past, are making a conscious effort to raise their game as the tournament progresses.
The Sri Lankan Army on Thursday urged the anti-government protesters to desist from violence immediately or be prepared to face the "consequences", warning that the security forces are "legitimately empowered" to exercise force.
The two brothers led a decisive campaign that helped end the island nation's three decade long civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
At least 10 persons were admitted to the National Hospital after the confrontation between protesters who have currently been staying inside the prime minister's official residence, the Colombo Post news portal reported.
'The worry among many international actors is whether there will be stability to provide assistance to the government because the political developments in the last few months are a real concern.'
On the lingering Tamil issue, Modi said he was confident that the Sri Lankan government will carry forward the reconciliation process and fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil community.
This is the first time in 44 years that Sri Lanka's parliament has directly elected a president.
'For the first time, all major countries are discovering India's indispensability to their own foreign policy interests.'
The minister further said the Sri Lankan government is holding continuous interactions with the Tamil diaspora and people and leaders living in different parts of the world.
China said it has suspended the project due to security concerns from a third party.
Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha, who were named in the original squad, will not tour owing to injuries sustained during the SLC Invitational T20 League 2022.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving Sri Lanka 'a breath of life' by providing timely economic assistance to his country as it faced the worst economic crisis in decades.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians' class and pedigree will once again be tested when they take on an unpredictable Punjab Kings.
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday adopted a resolution against Sri Lanka's rights record, in a setback to Colombo, which made determined efforts to garner international support ahead of the voting.
Sri Lankan authorities on Wednesday deployed troops and military vehicles in the streets to ensure public security in the capital amidst nationwide protests over the government's failure to tackle the worst economic crisis.
Sri Lanka sealed their qualification for the Super League stage with a dramatic victory over West Indies, while South Africa defeated Ireland to also book their place in the quarter-finals at the Under-19 World Cup.
Joins Rajapaksa's newly-formed Sri Lanka People's Party
Josh Hazlewood took four wickets and their openers comfortably chased a modest target.
That Sri Lanka are having to play in the group stage of the Twenty20 World Cup shows the extent of their decline since winning the title in 2014 but their recent Asia Cup triumph suggests they could spring a surprise or two in Australia.
Both teams head into their IPL game on Sunday on the back of defeats in their previous matches. While CSK fell short by 32 runs against Rajasthan Royals, PBKS lost to Lucknow Super Giants by 56 runs.
A week from now, October 20, Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi will host Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
Anti-terrorism court Lahore Judge Natasha Nasim also handed down two-year rigorous imprisonment each to 72 accused persons, including nine juveniles.
The Punjab Kings, who have heavily relied on skipper Shikhar Dhawan, will need their batters to step up as they face a confident Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.
It will be a battle between Liam Livingstone and Lockie Ferguson.
Images from the second T20 International between India and Sri Lanka, in Pune, on Thursday.
The president has agreed to call a parliamentary session on November 5, officials at Rajapaksa's office said.
Rajasthan Royals would be banking on their near-perfect combinations in almost all departments of the game to put up another commanding performance when they take on a strong Punjab Kings.
Angry protests in Colombo as Sri Lanka grapples with its worst ever economic crisis.
Coming off a socio-economic crisis and the worst turmoil in its country's history, the Sri Lankan cricket team would like to provide the island nation with an emotional catharsis by beating fancied Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.
England find themselves in a three-way tussle for a place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Maithripala Sirisena was considered so meek and self-effacing that he appeared no threat to anyone. What a mistake his rivals made!
Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, who was lynched by a mob in Pakistan's Punjab province over allegations of blasphemy last week, was buried according to Buddhist and Catholic rites at Ganemulla, a suburb north of Colombo, on Wednesday.
Rajasthan are third on the points table, and it is mostly because of the flamboyant Jos Buttler.
