Rex Clementine

There have been eight T-20 World Cups so far and West Indies and England have won the crown two times each while Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Australia have tasted success once each. Sri Lanka have an enviable record in the biannual event having won the title in 2014 and reached two other finals in 2009 and 2012 apart from finishing as losing semi-finalists in 2010.

Across the eight tournaments, Sri Lanka have played 51 games and won 31. That is a winning percentage of 60 and only Australia with 62 and India with 61 have better winning percentages than Sri Lanka.

There have been a few hiccups in recent years with Sri Lanka forced to play qualifying round tournaments prior to the main competition due to their low rankings, but even when that happened in 2021 and 2022, they did well to challenge bigger teams. If not for injuries and sloppy fielding, even on those two instances the team could have given a good run for the opponents.

Mahela Jayawardene and Virat Kohli are the only players to have scored over 1000 runs in T-20 World Cups. Several others like Rohit Sharma (963), David Warner (806) and Jos Buttler (799) could reach the milestone in this competition starting in a week’s time.

Sri Lanka’s total of 260 for six against Kenya in the inaugural edition of the competition in Johannesburg is still the highest score in the tournament. Their victory margin of 172 runs in the same game is also the biggest margin of victory.

Ajantha Mendis took six wickets for eight runs against Zimbabwe in 2012 at Suriyawewa and that’s still the best bowling figures in T-20 World Cups. Closely followed is Rangana Herath, who claimed five for three runs against New Zealand in what was a virtual quarter-final in Chittagong in 2014.

Wanindu Hasaranga took 16 wickets in the 2021 tournament in UAE and that’s the record for the most wickets in a single tournament. Hasaranga broke the record of Ajantha Mendis, who finished with 15 wickets in the 2012 competition. But the current selector had played two games less than the present captain. Hasaranga also had 15 wickets to his name in 2022 in Australia.

For the last two T-20 World Cups, Sri Lanka backed youth and heading into this tournament, most of those players who took part in the previous two editions have gained experience. There’s lot of hope lead up to this competition that Sri Lanka will make an impact and reach the semis.

Sprinter Aruna Dharshana advanced to the final as the second fastest from heats as he commenced his first overseas campaign of the year on a positive note at the Belt and Road World Athletics bronze lable Continental tour event in China on Monday.

The athlete trained by Asanka Rajakaruna was hardly challenged in his heat as he led from the gun to the finish line. Dharshana clocked 46.26 seconds to win the heat.

Dharshana is the second fastest athlete in Asia in the 400 metres based on his 45.30 seconds performance at the Trial event held at Diyagama in March. The fastest is Japan’s Kentaro Sato(45.21).

Dharshana is set to compete in the 400metres final today.

Dialog Axiata PLC powered Sri Lankan para-athletes proudly hoisted the Lion flag as they won two medals—silver and bronze—at the World Para Athletics Championships held in Kobe, Japan.

Sprinter Indika Gamage secured a bronze medal in the T-44 100 meters final held on Monday (20th), clocking a time of 11.83 seconds. Gamage qualified for the final after winning heat 1 with an impressive time of 11.75s.

However, it was javelin thrower Samitha Dulan who captured the spotlight by establishing a new world record in the Men’s F-44 Javelin Throw event on Tuesday (21st). The 33-year-old veteran won the silver medal in the F-64 event with a remarkable throw of 66.49 meters, earning a place in sporting history. The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics Games and 2023 Paris World Championships bronze medallist set the world record in his very first attempt and followed up with throws of 63.96m, 53.91m, 59.81m, 56.51m, and 65.01m in subsequent attempts.

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider is the proud sponsor of the National Paralympic Committee and this partnership aligns with the company’s ongoing dedication to empowering differently abled individuals in the country.

The company’s sponsorship also includes funding for training programs, domestic championships, international competitions, and other essential activities that support the development of para-athletes. This financial backing ensures that athletes have access to the best coaching, facilities, and opportunities to compete at the highest levels.

Dialog Axiata is also a dedicated sponsor of the national cricket, volleyball, and esports teams and the primary sponsor of the Sri Lanka Golf Open. The company promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion through sponsorships with the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka and the National Paralympic Committee, enabling athletes to participate in national and international tournaments.