Wanindu Hasaranga extends ODI record, matches Waqar Younis' massive feat as Sri Lanka secure World Cup qualification

Star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga produced match-winning figures to demolish Ireland in the 15th match of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023 on Sunday at the Queens Sports Club. With Hasaranga architecting a massive win for Dasun Shanaka and Co. in Bulawayo, Sri Lanka have punched its tickets for the 2023 edition of the ICC World Cup in India. Hasaranga bagged a brilliant five-wicket haul as the former world champions crushed Ireland by 133 runs.

Batting first in the all-important qualifying match of the World Cup 2023, Sri Lanka posted a gigantic target for Ireland at the Queens Sports Club. Veteran Dimuth Karunaratne played a scintillating knock of 103 off 103 balls while wicketkeeper-batter Sadeera Samarawickrama smashed 82 off 86 balls to help Sri Lanka post the challenging total. After Karunaratne and Samarawickrama added 168 runs for the third wicket, Dhananjaya de Silva played a crucial cameo of 42 off 35 balls which paved the way for Sri Lanka to register an imposing total of 325 in 49.5 overs.

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Leading the bowling attack of the 1996 world champions, spin wizard Hasaranga picked up the crucial wickets of Ireland's Andrew Balbirnie (12), Harry Tector (33), Gareth Delany (19), Mark Adair (4) and Joshua Little (20) in the 50-over contest. Overshadowing Mark Adair (4-46) and Barry McCarthy's (3-56) impressive bowling figures in the match, Hasaranga finished with 5-79 to make sure Sri Lanka dump Ireland out of the World Cup qualifiers. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star has taken 16 wickets in three World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

Hasaranga's third consecutive five-wicket haul ended Ireland's World Cup dream as the Men In Green needed a win to keep their qualification hopes alive in Zimbabwe. Rewriting history and sending Sri Lanka to the Super Six stage of the 2023 World Cup, Hasaranga became the second bowler in ODI history to take 3 consecutive 5-wicket hauls after legendary pacer Waqar Younis, who achieved the same feat in 1990. The spinner's figures of 5/79 are also the second-most expensive for a bowler with 5 wicket-haul after England's Adil Rashid. Sri Lanka's comfortable win also means that Scotland and Oman have joined the Asia Cup holders in advancing to the World Cup 2023 from Group B.