Cricket

Sri Lanka's spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand due to a left hamstring injury sustained during the second T20I on Sunday. Hasaranga, who has been Sri Lanka's most successful bowler in the T20I series, will be replaced by Dushan Hemantha, another legspin-bowling allrounder.Hasaranga's absence is a significant blow to Sri Lanka, as he has been in excellent form in recent matches. In the first T20I, he took 2 for 20 and scored an important 22 off 23 balls. In the second T20I, he took 4 for 17, including the wickets of New Zealand's top three batsmen.Sri Lanka already had another legspinner in the squad in Jeffrey Vandersay, but Hasaranga's absence will leave a big hole in the team's bowling attack. Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage are the other frontline spinners in the squad.Hasaranga becomes the second player to be ruled out of the series due to injuries sustained in the second T20I. New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is also unavailable due to a calf injury.The ODI series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand begins on Wednesday, with the first match to be played in Dambulla. The remaining two games will be played in Pallekele.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots' struggles in the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have been compounded by the withdrawal of Sherfane Rutherford for personal reasons. The 26-year-old all-rounder had played just four games for the Patriots, scoring 35 runs at a strike rate of 194.44.Rutherford's absence has left a significant void in the Patriots' batting lineup, with Dominic Drakes, primarily a bowling all-rounder, batting at No. 7 against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. The Patriots are currently rooted to the bottom of the CPL 2024 points table with a solitary win in six matches.Despite a four-wicket haul from Sri Lanka wristspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, the Patriots failed to defend 153 on a tacky surface against the Falcons. The loss extended their losing streak at Basseterre to 11 completed games since winning the CPL 2021 title at home."We disappointed them [the St Kitts and Nevis crowd]," said Patriots' captain Andre Fletcher. "It's hard and I would like to apologize as the leader as well, saying sorry for not giving them a win on home soil."The Patriots' woes have been compounded by injuries to Kyle Mayers, who left the field with a suspected hamstring injury, and Rilee Rossouw, who returned to action after recovering from a calf injury. Prior to the start of the season, the Patriots had lost Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza to injury and were depleted by the unavailability of Hasaranga and Tabraiz Shamsi at different points.Meanwhile, Pakistan and Falcons opener Fakhar Zaman has left the CPL to participate in the Champions One-day Cup, Pakistan's newer version of the domestic 50-over competition. Fakhar's Falcons team-mates Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir, however, have made themselves available for the domestic tournament and will instead continue to play in the CPL.In Fakhar's absence, Brandon King made his debut for the Falcons and slotted in at the top after recovering from a side injury. King marked his return with 29 off 16 balls, which set up the Falcons' successful chase of 154.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Overhaul Squad for CPL 2024, Replace Injured Hasaranga and ThusharaThe St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have been forced to make significant changes to their squad for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 season due to injuries to key players Wanindu Hasaranga and Nuwan Thushara.Hasaranga, a dynamic all-rounder, and Thushara, a pace-bowling specialist, sustained injuries during Sri Lanka's recent white-ball series against India. Hasaranga suffered a hamstring injury, while Thushara was ruled out with a finger injury.In response, the Patriots have signed South African duo Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortje as replacements. Shamsi, a left-arm wrist-spinner, is a familiar face in the CPL, having played 32 matches for the Patriots, including 27 in the 2023 season. He has taken 33 wickets in those matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.06.Nortje, a fast bowler, is yet to make his CPL debut but brings a wealth of international experience to the Patriots. He has represented South Africa in 25 Tests, 49 ODIs, and 29 T20Is, taking over 200 wickets across all formats.The Patriots will be hoping that Shamsi and Nortje can fill the void left by Hasaranga and Thushara. The team had a disappointing CPL 2023 campaign, finishing last with just one win in ten games.The updated Patriots squad for CPL 2024 includes:* Kyle Mayers* Tabraiz Shamsi* Rilee Rossouw* Evin Lewis* Sherfane Rutherford* Sikandar Raza* Anrich Nortje* Andre Fletcher* Tristan Stubbs* Dominic Drakes* Mikyle Louis* Odean Smith* Joshua da Silva* Veerasammy Permaul* Ryan John* Ashmead Nedd* Johann LayneWith the addition of Shamsi and Nortje, the Patriots will be hoping to improve their fortunes in CPL 2024 and challenge for the title.

Wanindu Hasaranga Ruled Out of ODI Series Against India with Hamstring InjurySri Lanka's all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the remaining two matches of the three-match ODI series against India due to a hamstring injury. The injury occurred during the first ODI, which ended in a thrilling tie.Hasaranga sustained the injury while bowling the final ball of his 10th over. He was seen clutching his left hamstring in discomfort and was unable to continue bowling. An MRI scan later confirmed the injury.The loss of Hasaranga is a significant blow to Sri Lanka's bowling attack. He is one of the team's most experienced and reliable bowlers, and his absence will be felt.To fill the void left by Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay has been called up to the Sri Lankan squad. Vandersay, 34, has played 22 ODIs for Sri Lanka, with his last appearance coming in January this year against Zimbabwe.The second ODI between Sri Lanka and India will be played on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The third and final ODI will be played at the same venue on August 7.

Captain Wanindu Hasaranga's Kandy Falcons are poised to face Jaffna Kings in the Qualifier 2 of the Lanka Premier League 2024, riding on a wave of confidence and camaraderie. Last year's champions, Kandy Falcons, have once again demonstrated their playoff prowess, winning their opening playoff match against Colombo Strikers in the Eliminator.Hasaranga, the Sri Lankan all-rounder, attributes the team's success to its positive and supportive atmosphere. "We have a great bunch of players," he said. "Our overseas players are very friendly and have been with us for two years, so they have built strong relationships with the staff and local players. Our local players are also experienced and share their knowledge with the younger players."The team's recent success in the playoffs has instilled a belief that they can repeat their triumph from last year. In the Eliminator, Kandy Falcons' bowlers restricted Colombo Strikers to a manageable target of 160, with Hasaranga himself taking two wickets for 21 runs."Credit goes to the bowlers, they took the wickets and restricted them," Hasaranga said.Looking ahead to Qualifier 2, Hasaranga emphasized the importance of consistency. "As players and as a team, we have to be consistent. We need to have consistency to win the tournament. Anyone can win matches, but to win tournaments, you need experience, confidence, and consistency. That is the main thing," he said.Kandy Falcons will face a formidable challenge in Jaffna Kings, who finished second in the league stage. However, with their winning momentum and the support of their loyal fans, Kandy Falcons will be determined to secure a place in the final.

Wanindu Hasaranga, the Sri Lankan all-rounder, has unexpectedly resigned as the T20I captain of the national team after holding the position for approximately six months. In a statement released by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Hasaranga expressed that his decision was made in the best interests of Sri Lankan cricket, without providing specific reasons."Sri Lanka will always receive my unwavering support as a player, and I will continue to stand by my team and leadership," Hasaranga stated in his resignation letter.Hasaranga's resignation comes as a surprise, considering that he was appointed to the captaincy role in August 2023. During his tenure, Sri Lanka won six out of ten T20Is, including bilateral series victories against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. However, the team's disappointing performance at the recent T20 World Cup, where they failed to qualify for the Super Eight, may have influenced his decision.Despite the team's struggles, Hasaranga had publicly expressed his enthusiasm for the captaincy role and had even prioritized Sri Lanka commitments over lucrative IPL appearances. He also faced a two-match suspension for abusing an umpire during his stint as captain.With Hasaranga's departure, Sri Lanka Cricket will need to find a suitable replacement for the T20I captaincy. Charith Asalanka, who led the team in Hasaranga's absence during his suspension, is a potential candidate. Asalanka also captains the Jaffna Kings in the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL).Sri Lanka's next T20I assignment is a three-match series against India at the end of January. The team will also have a new coach for this series, with Sanath Jayasuriya taking over as interim coach following Chris Silverwood's resignation after the World Cup. Mahela Jayawardene had also stepped down as consultant coach last month.

Sri Lanka's disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup 2024 has been attributed to their inability to adapt to the diverse playing surfaces in the United States, according to captain Wanindu Hasaranga.Despite arriving in the US 10 days prior to their opening match and participating in two warm-up games, Sri Lanka struggled to adjust to the conditions, particularly in their two crucial defeats against South Africa and Bangladesh.In their match against South Africa in New York, Sri Lanka was bowled out for a mere 77 runs, while in Dallas against Bangladesh, they were restricted to 124 for 9. These batting collapses effectively ended their hopes of reaching the Super Eight stage.Hasaranga acknowledged that the team's early exit was primarily due to their own shortcomings rather than external factors. "When you lose a match, you can blame pitches and other things, but as professional cricketers, that's not a good thing," he said. "Even the other team has to play on the same pitch, and it's our job to change the way we play."While Sri Lanka had a brief training camp in North Carolina before their warm-up matches, Hasaranga admitted that it was insufficient preparation for the varied conditions they encountered. "We have to thank the cricket board for bringing us here 10 days early and organizing a training camp for us," he said. "That was a big thing. It was important to get used to conditions, weather, and the time zone here."However, the pitches in different regions of the US proved to be vastly different, making it difficult for Sri Lanka to adapt. "Even though in some countries pitches are more similar from place to place, that's not the case in the USA," Hasaranga explained. "We adjusted as well as we could, but we unfortunately got New York for the first match, and it didn't go well for us. In the second match, we went to Dallas and didn't adjust well to that pitch."Hasaranga emphasized the importance of taking responsibility for their performance. "As a team and as a captain, we have to take the responsibility for that," he said. "We didn't make those changes and adapt, and that was our main flaw."

Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup campaign has been marred by logistical challenges, with captain Wanindu Hasaranga and spinner Maheesh Theekshana expressing their dissatisfaction over the team's hectic travel schedule.After a disappointing 6-wicket defeat to South Africa in their tournament opener, Sri Lanka faced a grueling post-match routine. They had to rush back to their hotel in Brooklyn, pack, check out, and head to the airport for a 6 pm flight to Dallas for their next game against Bangladesh.Theekshana voiced his frustration, stating, "It's unfair for us. We have to leave every day because we're playing at four different venues. We had to wait eight hours in the airport for our flight from Miami. It's really unfair."Sri Lanka is one of only two teams in the tournament playing their first-round matches at four different venues. Theekshana revealed that the team had to cancel their training session due to travel fatigue and had to wake up at 5 am to reach the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium for their game against South Africa."We had to wake up around 5 am to come here," Theekshana said. "I think everyone will rethink about next year because I know that this year, nothing will change."Hasaranga also acknowledged the impact of the travel schedule, saying, "We had a tough time the last few days. All four games in four venues. It's hard. We didn't know anything about the conditions here."Sri Lanka's logistical challenges have added to their on-field struggles. After being bundled out for 77 against South Africa, they will need to regroup quickly for their crucial match against Bangladesh.

Ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2024, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has released updated rankings for T20I all-rounders, batters, and bowlers.T20I All-Rounders:Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan share the top spot in the T20I all-rounders rankings. Hasaranga's impressive performances have propelled him to the summit, while Shakib's consistent all-round contributions have kept him in contention. Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi remains in third place, followed by Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza and South Africa's Aiden Markram.T20I Batters:Ireland's Andrew Balbirnie has made significant strides in the T20I batters rankings, jumping six places to 53rd. His teammate Harry Tector has also improved, moving up 12 spots to 69th. Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman has climbed four places to 57th, while Suryakumar Yadav of India continues to dominate the rankings with 861 points.T20I Bowlers:Bangladesh pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman have made notable gains in the T20I bowlers rankings. Ahmed has moved up three places to 23rd, while Rahman has jumped five spots to 25th. India's Axar Patel is the only Indian bowler in the top five, holding fourth place with 660 points.Other Notable Movements:* Pakistan's Imad Wasim has improved his rankings in both the T20I bowlers and all-rounders lists.* England's Philip Salt remains in second place in the T20I batting rankings.* Only 23 rating points separate the top five players in the T20I all-rounders rankings, indicating a highly competitive field.