Sri Lanka squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 announced

[MenInG]

The Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Committee selected the following squad to take part in the
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

The Honorable Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Roshan Ranasinghe, gave his approval for
the squad.

The tournament will take place in Australia from October 16th to November 13th 2022.

The Squad

1.) Dasun Shanaka – Captain
2.) Danushka Gunathilaka
3.) Pathum Nissanka
4.) Kusal Mendis - Wicket Keeper/Batsman
5.) Charith Asalanka
6.) Bhanuka Rajapaksa – Wicket Keeper/Batsman
7.) Dhananjaya de Silva
8.) Wanindu Hasaranga
9.) Maheesh Theekshana
10. Jeffrey Vandersay
11. Chamika Karunaratne
12. Dushmantha Chameera (Subject to fitness)
13. Lahiru Kumara (Subject to fitness)
14. Dilshan Madushanka
15. Promod Madushan

Standby Players
01) Ashen Bandara
02) Praveen Jayawickrema
03) Dinesh Chandimal
04) Binura Fernando
05) Nuwanidu Fernando

Note to Editors

Ashen Bandara and Praveen Jayawickrema will travel with the team.

 

[MenInG]

Sri Lanka, recent Asia Cup champions, have named their squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 with a couple of injury concerns in the list of 15.

Sri Lanka have named Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara in the 15-member squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, but their participation will be subject to their fitness ahead of the tournament.

Ashen Bandara, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dinesh Chandimal, Binura Fernando and Nuwanidu Fernando are named as players on standby. However, only Bandara and Jayawickrama will travel with the squad to Australia.

Most of the players from the Asia Cup 2022 feature in the squad. The ones to miss out on both the main squad and reserve group are Matheesha Pathirana, who made his debut at the Asia Cup recently, Nuwan Thushara and Asitha Fernando.

Dinesh Chandimal, the veteran middle-order batter, who made a return to the T20I squad in the Asia Cup, only finds a place in the standby players.

The impressive left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka retains his place in the squad after a great outing in UAE in the multi-nation tournament. Dhananjaya de Silva and Jeffrey Vandersay retain their places after coming in for the Asia Cup.

Key fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera's ankle injury hasn’t apparently healed completely and his return will be subject to fitness.

The squad has several pace options, however, with Madushanka, Pramod Madushan and Chamika Karunaratne aside from Chameera and Lahiru Kumara, the latter’s participation also subject to his fitness.

ICC

 

[Smbhayi]

What happened to kushal Perera? Chandimal and that Jayasuriya guy too should be in main squad..

 

[MenInG]

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka believes the fact his side must participate in the first round of the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup may actually work to their advantage.

The Asian country failed to qualify directly for the Super 12 stage of the tournament in Australia and will instead need to finish in the top two of their first round group that consists of Namibia, Netherlands and the UAE just to keep their dreams alive of a second T20 World Cup title.

Prior to their opening first round match against Namibia on October 16, Sri Lanka will get the chance to acclimatise to the conditions Down Under when they take on Zimbabwe and Ireland in vital warm-up matches prior to the tournament commencing.

And Shanaka thinks participating in all those matches will hand his side a distinct advantage when the tournament nears its completion in the middle of November.

"The last T20 World Cup (in UAE) we played the qualifying round and got into the tournament proper because we adapted to the ground conditions we had an advantage," Shanaka said prior to Sri Lanka departing for Australia on Saturday.

"The five matches which we are due to play in Australia will be to our advantage because we can read the conditions and the wickets going into the Super 12.

"From ground to ground the dimensions change, the bowlers need a lot of variations.

"They cannot succeed with one or two variations. We must prepare well for it. The bowlers have an idea of what is expected of them.

"The batsmen, we have spoken about how the top order batsmen are going to play in the Powerplay. We have set a good standard in fielding and our intention is to take our processes forward. I am always concerned about the process, it all depends on the day how you deliver. If we make the right decisions and do the right things on that day we can win."

Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood - who led the team to success at the Asia Cup last month - echoed the sentiments of his captain, but warned his team not to expect their first round opponents to be a mere pushover.

"You have to treat the teams with the same respect like you would against teams like India, Australia or England," the experienced coach said.

"We have to beat them, we have to make sure we do well. To me as a team we really should instil our disciplines and make sure we win.”

"There are always areas to improve like setting totals which we did really well in the final (Asia Cup). It is something we haven’t done a great deal and something for us to think about. Equally, the bowling, we are still working on the yorkers to make it successful on Australian wickets. There is constant work in progress.”

"What has impressed me most are quite a few things. Firstly, their willingness to learn, willingness to adapt and try new things which is really refreshing. You’ve seen the results of that. The camaraderie in the team. When I arrived, I said the talent was awesome, I think they have shown us on the big stage against big teams as well. It’s a combination of all these things put together that makes it an exciting prospect."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2835540

 

[Mobashir]

Very good squad for SL. Hope they have a good tournament. They are a nice team to watch.

 

[WengerOut]

Dinesh Chandimal should not be anywhere near any T20 squad let alone WC.

 

[MenInG]

Fresh from their victory in the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka enter the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 with renewed confidence.

The Lions reached the Super 12 for the second consecutive edition in 2021 and will be hoping to repeat their heroics from 2014, when Dinesh Chandimal skippered them to glory.

Sri Lanka are without Chandimal, who is on their stand-by list on this occasion, with Dasun Shanaka captaining his side for the second time at a T20 World Cup.

Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka are two of the five players to have been included in the squad having missed out last time out in the UAE and Oman.

2022 Prospects

It has been a year of two halves for Sri Lanka, who have tasted defeat in their three bilateral T20I series but came alive when the tournament pressure was on.

Sri Lanka suffered two series defeats against Australia, 4-1 down under and 2-1 on home soil, either side of suffering a 3-0 whitewash in India.

In the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka recovered from defeat to Afghanistan to go undefeated from that point onwards, with three dramatic wins in a row.

The final was more routine as the Lions defeated Pakistan by 23 runs to claim their first T20 Asia Cup and stand them in good stead ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

T20 World Cup history

Sri Lanka have found themselves top of the pile once at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, when Bangladesh hosted in 2014, but are leading the way in plenty of key stats too.

The Lions tasted victory in the fifth edition of the tournament, defeating inaugural champions India by six wickets in the final.

They had twice experienced defeat in the showpiece before that, in 2009 and when they last hosted in 2012, with a semi-final appearance sandwiched between them.

Across the seven tournaments, Mahela Jayawardene leads the way for most runs (1016), becoming the only Sri Lankan to score a century in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup along the way.

His runs have helped Sri Lanka to the highest win percentage of any team who has played a minimum of five matches, with a success rate of 63.95%.

Despite not reaching the knockout stages, 2021 was a bumper tournament for Sri Lanka as Wanindu Hasaranga topped the wickets, taking 16 – the most in a single tournament.

Charith Asalanka scored 231 runs at an average of 46.20 to sit fifth in the charts, with both he and Hasaranga making The Upstox Most Valuable Team of the Tournament.

Best batters

Hasaranga could easily be named among Sri Lanka’s best batters and bowlers, with the right-hander ranked fourth among all-rounders in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Rankings.

Pathum Nissanka is also one to watch. Sitting eighth in the batters’ charts, he scored 55 not out against Pakistan in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup, his second consecutive T20I fifty having also made one against India.

Nissanka will be searching for consistency, having posted scores over 70 once in each of the India and Australia away series without moving past a half-century again in either.

In Shanaka, Sri Lanka have a captain leading by example, his lower-order hitting proving vital during his side’s Asia Cup success.

Best bowlers

Hasaranga is now Sri Lanka’s not-so-secret weapon. He announced himself on the world stage in the 2021 edition, taking a hat-trick against South Africa, and has become a reliable match-winner.

The leg spinner is joined in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Rankings for T20I Bowlers by Maheesh Theekshana, who sits two spots below him in eighth.

Theekshana took eight wickets during the first-round stage of last year’s tournament, including returning career-best figures of three for 17 against Ireland in only his fifth match for the Lions.

Fixtures

Sri Lanka will open the 2022 tournament when they take on Namibia on 16 October to kick off Group A.

They then face last year’s joint hosts, the United Arab Emirates, before concluding their first-round fixtures against the Netherlands on 20 October with all three games at Geelong’s Kardinia Park.

Group A, First round

Sri Lanka v Namibia, October 16 – Geelong (3pm local time)
Sri Lanka v United Arab Emirates, October 18 – Geelong (7pm local time)
Sri Lanka v Netherlands, October 20 – Geelong (3pm local time)

ICC

 

[MenInG]

Sri Lanka started their ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign on a bright note as they registered a comprehensive 33-run win against Zimbabwe in their warm-up match in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Warm-up 3: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka won by 33 runs

The Sri Lankan openers Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka got their team off to a flying start as they put on a 57-run stand in just five overs. The partnership was broken when Brad Evans dismissed Nissanka for 21 but Mendis carried on and made his way to a fifty.

Mendis was threatening to take the game completely away from Zimbabwe but Ryan Burl gave them a much-needed breakthrough as he had the Sri Lankan batter caught for a well-made 29-ball 54. The 27-year-old hit six fours and three sixes during the course of his knock.

Zimbabwe made a comeback into the game for a brief period as they claimed some quick wickets to reduce Sri Lanka to 133/5 at the end of the 16th over. But Wanindu Hasaranga played an excellent cameo of 37* off just 14 deliveries to take Sri Lanka's total to 188/5.

The chase was going to be a challenging one for Zimbabwe but a good start to their innings kept them in the hunt. The openers put on 39 runs in just three overs and after reaching a score of 61/2 in seven overs, they looked well on course towards their target. But the match kept slipping away from them after that as the Lankan bowlers bowled tight lines and lengths.

Wesley Madhevere scored a run-a-ball 42 and that halted the momentum of Zimbabwe's innings in the middle overs. Lower-order batter Milton Shumba tried his best to get them close to the target with a 25-ball 32 but it wasn't enough for Zimbabwe as they still fell short by 33 runs.

As far as the Sri Lankan bowling goes, Hasaranga bowled an economical spell of 4-0-22-0 after his flamboyant knock of 37*, whereas Maheesh Theekshana and Chamika Karunaratne claimed a couple of wickets each.

ICC

 

[MenInG]

Champions of the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka will be looking to ride the wave into Australia at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Squad
Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness), Lahiru Kumara (subject to fitness), Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan.

Standby Players: Ashen Bandara, Praveen Jayawickrema, Dinesh Chandimal, Binura Fernando, Nuwanidu Fernando.


Best Finish at Tournament

Champions (2014)

After falling short on the final hurdle in 2012, Sri Lanka made amends at the very next edition and were crowned T20 World Champions for the first time in 2014.

Lasith Malinga's men topped their group with three wins from four games to setup a clash with West Indies in the semi-finals. In a repeat of the 2012 T20 World Cup final, Sri Lanka got the better of the Windies in a rain-truncated game in Dhaka.

In an all-Asia final, Sri Lanka bowled brilliantly to restrict India to 130 and chased it down easily with more than two overs to spare. It was a fitting farewell to Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena, both of whom bid farewell to T20I cricket hoisted on the shoulders of their team-mates and with the T20 World Cup trophy in hand.


Results in the last 10 games

(most recent first) W W W W W L W L L L


Fixtures

v Namibia (16 October), Kardinia Park, Geelong
v UAE (18 October), Kardinia Park, Geelong
v Netherlands (20 October), Kardinia Park, Geelong


Key Match

v Namibia - 16 October

Sri Lanka will feature in the opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 against Namibia at Kardinia Park in Geelong. The Islanders are clear favourites to make it out of the group and will want to begin at full speed against Namibia, a team that could give them a run for their money.

The only encounter between the two teams was at the T20 World Cup last year and it ended being a one-sided affair in which Sri Lanka emerged victorious.


Key Player

Wanindu Hasaranga - The rise of Wanindu Hasaranga has coincided with Sri Lanka's breaking out of their transition phase. The all-rounder has quickly become arguably their most important player in limited-overs cricket and more so in the shortest format.

The wily leg-spinner has had opposition batters dancing to his tunes since making his T20I debut in 2019. In Hasaranga, Sri Lanka found a genuine wicket-taking spinner that was missing in their ranks since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath. In 44 T20Is, the third-ranked T20I bowler in the world has 71 wickets at a stunning average of 14.74 while giving away just 6.72 runs an over.

Hasaranga can also change the game with the bat, as he showed against Pakistan in the final of the 2022 Asia Cup. There aren't many better all-rounders in the game, with the 25-year-old ranked fourth in the ICC Men's T20I all-rounders rankings.

Wanindu Hasaranga was the X-factor Sri Lanka were craving after the retirement of several stalwarts in the last decade. He is now starting to come into his own and could very well be the player that makes Sri Lanka the formidable force they once were.

Summary

The Asia Cup triumph was the light at the end of the tunnel for Sri Lanka and could prove to be the catalyst for their journey back to the top of world cricket. With momentum on their side, the T20 World Cup comes at the most opportune time for the Lions to prove that the Asia Cup wasn't just a one-off.

Like last year, Sri Lanka once again find themselves in unfamiliar land in the T20 World Cup – they will have to go through the trials and tribulations of Round 1 to make it to the Super 12. They will want to replicate their performances of last year where they stamped their authority to win three-from-three in Round 1.

Though they endured a difficult time in the Super 12, the experience of playing in the marquee event has already done a world of good to the youngsters who have now found their footing on the international stage.

Led by Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka have formed a solid core with Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana all rising to the occasion in recent times.


They will be boosted with the return of Dushmantha Chameera, who at the time of the squad announcement was going to be available subject to fitness but featured in their first warm-up match against Zimbabwe. He will be flanked by the inexperienced but talented duo of Pramod Madushan and Dilshan Madushanka who gave a glimpse of their prowess in the Asia Cup.

Having tasted the success at Asia Cup, Sri Lanka will be hungry to cultivate the winning habit and the T20 World Cup gives them the perfect opportunity to do so.

ICC

 

[MenInG]

Champions of the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka will be looking to ride the wave into Australia at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Squad
Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness), Lahiru Kumara (subject to fitness), Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan.

Standby Players: Ashen Bandara, Praveen Jayawickrema, Dinesh Chandimal, Binura Fernando, Nuwanidu Fernando.


Best Finish at Tournament

Champions (2014)

After falling short on the final hurdle in 2012, Sri Lanka made amends at the very next edition and were crowned T20 World Champions for the first time in 2014.

Lasith Malinga's men topped their group with three wins from four games to setup a clash with West Indies in the semi-finals. In a repeat of the 2012 T20 World Cup final, Sri Lanka got the better of the Windies in a rain-truncated game in Dhaka.

In an all-Asia final, Sri Lanka bowled brilliantly to restrict India to 130 and chased it down easily with more than two overs to spare. It was a fitting farewell to Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena, both of whom bid farewell to T20I cricket hoisted on the shoulders of their team-mates and with the T20 World Cup trophy in hand.


Results in the last 10 games

(most recent first) W W W W W L W L L L


Fixtures

v Namibia (16 October), Kardinia Park, Geelong
v UAE (18 October), Kardinia Park, Geelong
v Netherlands (20 October), Kardinia Park, Geelong


Key Match

v Namibia - 16 October

Sri Lanka will feature in the opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 against Namibia at Kardinia Park in Geelong. The Islanders are clear favourites to make it out of the group and will want to begin at full speed against Namibia, a team that could give them a run for their money.

The only encounter between the two teams was at the T20 World Cup last year and it ended being a one-sided affair in which Sri Lanka emerged victorious.


Key Player

Wanindu Hasaranga - The rise of Wanindu Hasaranga has coincided with Sri Lanka's breaking out of their transition phase. The all-rounder has quickly become arguably their most important player in limited-overs cricket and more so in the shortest format.

The wily leg-spinner has had opposition batters dancing to his tunes since making his T20I debut in 2019. In Hasaranga, Sri Lanka found a genuine wicket-taking spinner that was missing in their ranks since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath. In 44 T20Is, the third-ranked T20I bowler in the world has 71 wickets at a stunning average of 14.74 while giving away just 6.72 runs an over.

Hasaranga can also change the game with the bat, as he showed against Pakistan in the final of the 2022 Asia Cup. There aren't many better all-rounders in the game, with the 25-year-old ranked fourth in the ICC Men's T20I all-rounders rankings.

Wanindu Hasaranga was the X-factor Sri Lanka were craving after the retirement of several stalwarts in the last decade. He is now starting to come into his own and could very well be the player that makes Sri Lanka the formidable force they once were.

Summary

The Asia Cup triumph was the light at the end of the tunnel for Sri Lanka and could prove to be the catalyst for their journey back to the top of world cricket. With momentum on their side, the T20 World Cup comes at the most opportune time for the Lions to prove that the Asia Cup wasn't just a one-off.

Like last year, Sri Lanka once again find themselves in unfamiliar land in the T20 World Cup – they will have to go through the trials and tribulations of Round 1 to make it to the Super 12. They will want to replicate their performances of last year where they stamped their authority to win three-from-three in Round 1.

Though they endured a difficult time in the Super 12, the experience of playing in the marquee event has already done a world of good to the youngsters who have now found their footing on the international stage.

Led by Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka have formed a solid core with Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana all rising to the occasion in recent times.


They will be boosted with the return of Dushmantha Chameera, who at the time of the squad announcement was going to be available subject to fitness but featured in their first warm-up match against Zimbabwe. He will be flanked by the inexperienced but talented duo of Pramod Madushan and Dilshan Madushanka who gave a glimpse of their prowess in the Asia Cup.

Having tasted the success at Asia Cup, Sri Lanka will be hungry to cultivate the winning habit and the T20 World Cup gives them the perfect opportunity to do so.

ICC

 

[jnaveen1980]

SL is the only team that "tries" to approach like England due to depth. But not good enough in terms of executing it. They just try.

 

[MenInG]

Talking about the rapid rise of the Islanders in T20I cricket, Gambhir picked Sri Lanka to pose a threat to the title contenders at the World Cup. “Sri Lanka, because of the kind of success they have had at the Asia Cup. The way they are playing, the way they are probably peaking at the right time. And with Chameera and Lahiru Kumara coming in, they probably got most of their places covered. They are going to be a threat and so they are going to take a lot of confidence into the T20 World Cup,” Gambhir told Star Sports.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...d-cup-opener-vs-pakistan-101665888423489.html

 

[DHONI183]

Despite them being the unlikely winners of the recent T20 Asia Cup, I´m least surprised by Sri Lanka´s today´s defeat to Namibia. They´re a young team and they´ll keep on blowing hot and cold, as they don´t quite have experienced players in the team. Knowing them, they might yet go on to surprise us by winning a match or two against some of the big teams of the tournament, if they end up qualifying for the next round - which they still seem likely to do, at this stage at least.

Congratulations to Namibia! What an incredible win! There were glimpses even in the last year´s T20 World Cup of them having improved their game, but I still didn´t expect them to secure a win against a team much stronger than theirs. Well done!

 

[Mas-LFC]

The Dark horse - for the world cup

 

[MenInG]

The fate of Sri Lanka at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 hangs in the balance, with a heavy defeat to Namibia in the opening match of the tournament leaving the Asia Cup Champions in need of a huge response in the remaining Round 1 matches.

Shanaka’s side were the overwhelming favourites to progress from Group A and into the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, but the loss on Sunday has thrown a spanner in the works.

“The way we played is the worry,” said Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka after his side’s loss to Namibia on Sunday.

Sri Lanka will now need to avoid any further slip-ups against Netherlands and United Arab Emirates to progress, and could even then see their fortunes come down to run rate permutations.

A 55-run defeat looked a long way off when Sri Lanka had their opponents at 93/6 with less than six overs of the match remaining.

But lackadaisical death bowling, combined with tidy knocks from Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit saw Namibia reach 163/7 from their 20 overs.

"I think they tried too much," Shanaka said of his seam bowlers at the press conference. "We didn't execute our plans well.

"I think we went for the yorkers and we didn't execute with low full tosses and half volleys. I think that's where it went wrong. I think if they had stuck to that hard length, wicket-to-wicket, like the Namibian bowlers did really, really well, it should have been different.”

Sri Lanka had come into the tournament on the back of a fine run of form that saw them lift the Asia Cup. And the Lankans would have been confident given the nature of their crushing victory over Namibia in the same stage of the previous T20 World Cup a year ago.

However, Namibia still made it through to the Super 12 stage in 2021, and captain Gerhard Erasmus said his side have taken great confidence from that experience at the top level.

“I had a sort of childish belief last year before that game, and I think this year it was more something of we've played at the level and we can now mentally relate to this level; we can now physically and skilfully relate to this level,” Erasmus said.

“We've played India, Pakistan, all these teams before. We've seen it, we've tasted it, and because we've closed that gap by becoming one step closer to them and getting the physical feel for what it's like, I think that's really what gave us the belief this time around.”

The Namibia skipper wasn’t convinced by the idea that Sri Lanka got their bowling tactics wrong, but agreed with his opposite number that it was more a case of the Namibian bowlers executing the plans better.

“We just went on to the field on an equal footing to the Sri Lankan side, and we just executed better on the day, I guess. That’s the game of cricket, and I believe we did so for longer periods, hence the result.

“If more opportunities like these arise for associate nations, they've shown over the years that they do close the gap and get to the level, and they're good actually quite quickly.”

Focus will now switch to Tuesday’s second round of group games, where Namibia could put one foot in the Super 12 stage with a win over fellow opening-day winners Netherlands.

For Sri Lanka, their Net RR of -2.750 will be a big concern, and Shanaka will be hoping for a huge response from his side to get points on the board and correct that run rate damage.

Sri Lanka’s remaining Group A fixtures

Tuesday 18 October, 19:00 local time: Sri Lanka vs UAE at Kardinia Park, Geelong

Thursday 20 October, 15:00 local time: Netherlands vs Sri Lanka at Kardinia Park, Geelong

Namibia’s remaining Group A fixtures

Tuesday 18 October, 15:00 local time: Namibia vs Netherlands at Kardinia Park, Geelong

Thursday 20 October, 19:00 local time: Namibia vs UAE at Kardinia Park, Geelong

 

[James]

Sri Lanka's poor start to the T20 World Cup has been exacerbated by the injury withdrawal of Dilshan Madushanka.
The left-arm seamer, who made his debut during the Asia Cup and impressed as his country went home with the title, suffered a quadriceps tear on the eve of Sri Lanka's 55-run defeat by Namibia.
He has been replaced in the squad by fellow left-armer Binura Fernando.

 

[MenInG]

The Sri Lankans were shocked by Namibia in the curtain raiser and will need their batting to come good against UAE to keep their Super 12 qualification hopes alive.

Sri Lanka’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign started with a humbling against Namibia in the tournament’s opener – a result that leaves no room for error for the Asia Cup Champions.

The margin of the 55-run loss against the African side, and its impact on Sri Lanka’s net run rate, means that Dasun Shanaka’s side will have to push for a big win against United Arab Emirates. Two victories from this point doesn’t guarantee a place in the Super 12 stage, and it could all come down to NRR.

A stunned Shanaka responded after the defeat: "We didn't execute our plans well. I think we went for the yorkers and we didn't execute with low full tosses and half volleys. I think that's where it went wrong. I think if they had stuck to that hard length, wicket-to-wicket, like the Namibian bowlers did really well, it should have been different.”

Opponents UAE will have prepared for a stern test against the Lankan spinners, who will have a big part to play in the contest.

The early stages of this tournament suggest that spin is set to be a big factor, and Sri Lanka have a well-balanced mix of slow bowlers, led by the consistent Wanindu Hasaranga.

UAE may not have the firepower of Namibia that troubled Sri Lanka so much on the opening day, but another blip for the Lankan batters could be terminal to their qualification chances.

Key Player

Dasun Shanaka

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka’s rise has been a joy to watch, but he will be hurting following a demoralising opening defeat. It won’t come as a surprise if the 31-year-old leads by example with bat and ball to get his side on the board in Group A.

ICC

 

[MenInG]

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have suffered a big blow in their quest to reach the Super 12 stage with in-form pacer Dushmantha Chameera out injured and replaced in the squad by Kasun Rajitha. But that's not the only injury news from the camp.

Top-order batter Danushka Gunathilaka has had a hamstring tear and is replaced by Ashen Bandara, who is a travelling reserve.

Chameera hurt his left calf while bowling during Sri Lanka's comprehensive 79-run victory over the UAE on Tuesday and team officials have decided to call for backup by asking Rajitha to fly over for the remainder of the event.

Sri Lanka currently sit in third place in Group A and need to defeat the Netherlands to ensure they progress through to the final 12.

Chameera has four wickets through Sri Lanka's first two matches in Australia and his absence will rob skipper Dasun Shanaka of a valuable new ball option and a reliable operator at the death.

 

[MenInG]

The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 has approved four player replacements.

In the Sri Lanka squad Kasun Rajitha has replaced Dushmantha Chameera who was ruled out due to a torn left calf muscle. Rajitha is currently in Sri Lanka and will be travelling to Australia as soon as possible. In addition, Danushka Gunathilaka who has a left hamstring tear will be replaced by travelling reserve Ashen Bandara.

In the United Arab Emirates squad, the travelling reserve Fahad Nawaz has replaced Zawar Farid who has fractured his left foot. Finally, England’s Tymal Mills who is already in Australia comes in for Reece Topley who has an injured left ankle.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.

The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 consists of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager - Cricket (Chair); Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events; Peter Roach, Cricket Australia, Shane Doyle, Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee; Shaun Pollock (Independent) and Ian Bishop (Independent).

 

[MenInG]

NED v SL :

It all comes down to net run rate, and that is where the Netherlands are in trouble. Sri Lanka’s crushing win over UAE means that they will go above the Dutch on NRR should they win this game. And then it would all come down to Namibia v UAE in the Group A finale later on Thursday. A win for Namibia in that match would see them knock the Netherlands out in that scenario, as they already have a superior NRR.

Should Netherlands win this game then Sri Lanka will be hoping for an enormous favour from UAE, who would need to beat Namibia and very heavily to overturn the NRR differential in Sri Lanka’s favour. Such a mathematical outcome is not impossible but highly improbable.

 

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Sri Lanka middle-order dynamo Bhanuka Rajapaksa insists Sri Lanka's laser-sharp focus on England will remain even if they are knocked out of ICC Men's T20 World Cup contention.

The side could be mathematically eliminated from the semi-finals after Friday's fixtures in Adelaide, with a win over Jos Buttler's men only taking them to six points, short of the seven total points needed to sneak into the top two.

But the 31-year-old left-hander stressed the Asia Cup champions still have a point to prove at the campaign, finishing on a high against a highly-regarded side at close to the peak of their powers.

"Regardless of the result of (Friday's) games, it's a matter of playing good cricket in Australia. We have already shown what we are capable of a couple of months back, and it's a strong side," he said.

"Unfortunately not all the results have come our way, but tomorrow's game is quite important to end on a high note. We just want to play good cricket and justify our presence in Australia."

Sri Lanka's campaign almost ended before the Super 12 phase of the event, second-best in all facets against Namibia in the tournament opener, before rallying to beat UAE and the Netherlands to extend their campaign.

The side have been dogged by a spate of injuries, making several squad shuffles in Australia, though the side have rallied to brush off challenges from Afghanistan and Ireland at the event. They also enjoyed the upper hand for extended periods against the tournament hosts, only to be knocked over by a stellar batting effort from Marcus Stoinis in Perth.

A team that surprised many in last year's tournament, Sri Lanka still appear from the outside as a team at the beginning of a long-term push for silverware at ICC events. Just four of the squad members are 30 years or older, and under new coach Chris Silverwood, Rajapaksa feels the team are still learning on the job.

"He's one coach that we've been looking forward to his input, and the input has been quite straightforward and the clarity is there," he said.

"We've been pushed hard. There's no limits with him, so we've been really pushed hard. He just wants us to get better every day, and it's quite simple, as I said before. There's so much clarity, and he's been great, and we'll get better hopefully in the future."

As for secrets from Silverwood on his former English colleagues, Rajapaksa kept the cards close to his chest.

"We have a general strategy, plans for each individual when we play against them. It's just we know the game, and for us as a team, we play a lot of franchise cricket so we know all the players more, and of course Chris has spoken to us. It's just a normal strategy and a general plan for everyone. That's about it," Rajapaksa said.

"Hopefully the result will prepare us by Australia getting beaten by Afghanistan, so that's what we are hoping for, but preparations are just the same."

ICC

 

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Sri Lanka came into the tournament on a high with the Asia Cup triumph behind them, but failed to make much of an impression right from the outset.

Most runs - Kusal Mendis (223)
Most wickets - Wanindu Hasaranga (15)


What went right

In a campaign marred by injuries to key bowlers, Sri Lanka's spinners stood out. Wanindu Hasaranga once again finished at the top of the wicket charts, taking 15 wickets at an average of 13.27. He had one major off game, against Australia when his three overs went for a shocking 53 runs, but overall, Hasaranga was the star of the show, complimented well by Maheesh Theekshana and Dhananjaya de Silva.

From the top-order, the openers were head and shoulders above the rest. With the conditions posing major challenges to the openers, Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka led the way. Sri Lanka's No.1 and No.2 made the most runs in the tournament for openers from any team until the end of the Super 12 phase. They also made the most fifties and generally held the batting together admirably.


What went wrong

Injuries and a faltering middle order compounded Sri Lanka's troubles. Sri Lanka failed to garner enough contributions from the middle order with just one fifty coming from their batters from No.3-No.7. They averaged a combined 16.8 in the tournament.

To be fair, injuries to Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madushanka hurt Sri Lanka big time. The two key pacers would have given the bowling attack the edge it required in Australia. While the bowling was overall pretty impressive, the presence of at least one of these two would have covered up for some of Sri Lanka's middle-order issues.


What does the future hold?

With the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India next year, Sri Lanka's promise looks brighter than it might appear after their exit from this tournament. The batting, on paper, is very promising, especially in Asian conditions as they showed during the Asia Cup.

In Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva and Dasun Shanaka, they have a solid middle-order to complement the opening pair and quite a few back-up options to build upon.


The spin attack is well-rounded with a top-class leg-spinner, a mystery spinner who can bowl in the Powerplay and a classical off-spinner whose primary trade is his batting.

The depth in fast bowling is something that Sri Lanka have showcased multiple times in the past couple of years and it once again stood out this tournament with the likes of Lahiru Kumara, Pramod Madushan, Binura Fernando, Kasun Rajitha and Chamika Karunaratne impressing in bits and pieces.

ICC