Sri Lankan cricketers participating in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) have been asked to return home early to prepare for the national team's tour of England that gets underway on May 14.
India's veteran batsman Rahul Dravid and Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal finished as the top run-getter and top wicket-taker respectively, in the year 2011.
Rajasthan Royals' skipper Shane Warne feels that dismissing Deccan Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkara and dashing South African batsman JP Duminy was turning point during their eight-wicket win in Hyderabad on Saturday.
A completely new-look Deccan Chargers would look to test their strength when they take on last edition laggards Rajasthan Royals in the battle between two former champions in their opening match of the Indian Premier League in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Kumar Sangakkara took full advantage of being dropped in the first over of the day to score his 28th Test century as Sri Lanka took firm control of the second test against South Africa on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara will lead the Deccan Chargers in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League, it was announced in Hyderabad on Monday.
Their crucial contribution in guiding India to their first World Cup title in 28 years on Sunday fetched the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan a place in the International Cricket Council's Team of the Tournament.
Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara has given Australia's domestic Twenty20 league a major shot in the arm by signing up to play for the Hobart Hurricanes from next season.
The major records established by Virat Kohli on Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa in Pune, on Friday.
Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir took four wickets to limit Sri Lanka to 218 for nine in their 50 overs in the fifth and final ODI at the Shaikh Zayed stadium, in Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday.
Virender Sehwag is one of four leading cricketers chosen by the International Cricket Council as its ambassadors for 2010-2011. The ICC has chosen five ambassadors, including Australian umpire Simon Taufel, for the year, during which its flagship event, the ODI World Cup, will be jointly staged by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Kumar Sangakkara, Paul Collingwood and Michael Clarke are the other ambassadors.
Tharanga Paranavitana and Kumar Sangakkara both hit half centuries on Sunday as Sri Lanka extended their lead over Pakistan to 237 runs at the close of the fourth day and set up an intriguing finale in the third and final Test in Sharjah.
Pakistan, replying to Sri Lanka's first inings total of 413, were 35 for 2 at stumps on Day 2 of the third Test.
Kumar Sangakkara's 27th Test century helped Sri Lanka reach 245 for two and into a strong position at stumps on the first day of their must-win third and final Test against Pakistan in neutral Sharjah on Thursday.
The International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit has been monitoring the unusual activities of a leading Sri Lankan player after team members alerted their captain Kumar Sangakkara of his late-night activities with a man believed to be an illegal bookmaker.
They may be rivals on the field of play, but India opener Virender Sehwag and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara have joined together to star in a new 'Think Wise campaign' launched by the ICC on Tuesday, educating people about HIV/AIDS and how to avoid contracting the disease.
Kumar Sangakkara led Sri Lanka's fightback in the second innings with an unbeaten 161, aided by sloppy Pakistan fielders who dropped a number of catches on day four of the first Test in Abu Dhabi. At stumps on the penultimate day of the Test, Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene (25) were at the crease with Sri Lanka on 298 for five wickets, still trailing Pakistan by 16 runs.
Faisalabad Wolves rode on skipper Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten 93 to beat Kandurata Maroons by 10 runs and post a consolation win in an inconsequential qualifying match of the Champions League Twenty20 in Mohali, on Friday.
Taufeeq Umar (236) hit his maiden Test double century as Pakistan turned the screw on Sri Lanka on the third day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Sri Lanka were 47 for one at the close, still trailing Pakistan by 267 runs, with former captain Kumar Sangakkara (27) and opener Lahiru Thirimanne (20) at the crease.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India about non-payment of dues from Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) -- the franchise he represented in the first three editions of the Indian Premier League. 'Yes, Sangakkara has written to the BCCI about non-clearance of his dues. The matter came up for discussion during yesterday's governing council meeting,' a senior official confirmed on Thursday.
England claimed two late wickets to reduce Sri Lanka to 133 for two at the close of a rain-shortened first day in the first test on Thursday.
Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara will deliver the 11th MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's on July 4.
India coach Gary Kirsten was named in the International Cricket Council's Cricket Committee as representative of national coaches. He replaces Mickey Aurthur, who recently resigned as South Africa coach.
Our choices guide the State's attitudes, actions, policy and legislation. In order to establish the best government and the best most equitable governance we need to be better people, Sangakkara said in a long tweet reacting to the murder of an African-American man in police custody in the USA last week.
Kumar Sangakkara remained unbeaten on 61 in his 100th Test to launch a strong Sri Lankan reply to Australia's first innings total of 316 on the second day of the third and final Test on Saturday.
# Suresh Raina has registered 11 fifties in the IPL -- a tally exceeded only by Jacques Kallis (13).
Reacting to former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tilakratne's comments that match fixing has existed in Sri Lankan cricket since 1992, Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday said the former should work with the ACSU unit of the ICC and the home authorities in Sri Lanka if he has 'anything more than allegations, as it's dangerous to throw names around.'
# Kumar Sangakkara (65 off 47 balls) has registered his ninth fifty in the IPL.
Statistical highlights of the Indian Premier League match between Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers Kerala, in Kochi, on Wednesday.
Statistical highlights of the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Pune Warriors, in Chennai, on Wednesday.
Deccan Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara said playing for the nation is supreme but country vs club situation could be avoided if a window is created for the Indian Premier League in the ICC's FTP calender.
Tillakaratne Dilshan was named Sri Lanka captain in all three formats of the game for next month's tour of England, following Kumar Sangakkara's resignation after the World Cup. The selectors, however, did not name a vice-captain for the tour because 'the prospective candidates are nursing injuries, and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question'.
Their spinners might have come a cropper in the loss to Rajasthan Royals, but that will not deter Deccan Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara from opening the bowling against Kolkata Knight Riders with tweakers in Kolkata on Sunday.
Sri Lanka beat England by 90 runs in the sixth One-Day International at Pallekele on Saturday to take an unbeatable 4-2 lead in their seven-match series.
Xavier Doherty and Brett Lee shared eight wickets as Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the fourth One-day International to secure an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Sri Lanka's selectors have appointed Tillakaratne Dilshan as captain of the national side for all formats until the end of 2011.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed the cut in the ICC World Cup XI but the India skipper has been selected by noted cricket writer Peter Roebuck in his squad of 12 players, which also has iconic Sachin Tendulkar.
England will return on Thursday to chase down a 240-run victory target and stay alive in the seven-match contest against Sri Lanka after rain forced play to be suspended in the fifth one-day international in Pallekele on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara watches as India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hits Kulasekara over long-on for a six to seal victory in the World Cup final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Saturday night.
The toss, usually a mundane affair, caused confusion all around on Saturday and had to be performed twice before the start of the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka.
