IPL commitments delay departure of two Sri Lankan cricketers

• Sunrisers Hyderabad retain Malinga, Madushanka

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Two Sri Lankan players – fast bowlers Eshan Malinga and Dilshan Madushanka’s departure to the Caribbean have been delayed with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) having retained them for the IPL Play-offs which commenced yesterday.

Malinga has been one of the key figures for SRH who took on Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator at New Chandigarh. If SRH fails to reach the finals Malinga and Madushanka will join the rest of the Sri Lankan squad on 30 May. Otherwise, their departure will be delayed till the final is over on 31 May. In the event both players who have been named in the ODI squad may miss the first ODI against the West Indies which is due to commence in Jamaica on 3 June.

The Sri Lankan team left for the Caribbean yesterday.

Malinga is SRH’s leading wicket-taker with 19 wickets in 14 games and he is one of the reasons why SRH are playing in the Play-offs. Madushanka’s appearance this season has been few and far between. The left-arm pacer came in as injury replacement for England’s Brydon Carse and has so far played one match against Delhi Capitals taking 1/36 in his IPL debut.

Two other Sri Lankans whose teams are in the IPL Play-offs but not retained are Kamindu Mendis by SRH and Dasun Shanaka by Rajasthan Royals. Mendis, although part of the SRH squad, failed to break in and could not play a single match.

All-rounder Shanaka joined Royals as replacement for injured England all-rounder Sam Curran. He was brought in to add finishing power to the lower-middle order and depth to the batting line-up. He came in during the backend of the season for Royals, including notable match situations where he was utilized as an impact player and lower-order hitter. He proved his worth by smashing 29 off 15 balls (3 sixes) before getting run out against Mumbai Indians in a do-or-die game for Royals reaching a landmark of 300 T20 sixes in his career. He appeared in six matches for Royals.

Opener Pathum Nissanka is another Sri Lankan cricketer who made an impact in the ongoing IPL. Nissanka had a brilliant maiden IPL season representing Delhi Capitals finishing the campaign as DC’s second highest run-scorer amassing 278 runs in 10 innings at an explosive strike rate of 158.86. Among his best performances was a breath-taking 62 scored off just 33 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) against Rajasthan Royals and a standout 50 off 29 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes) against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Nissanka benefitted a lot from opening the DC batting with KL Rahul crediting the Indian’s experience and advice helping him to adapt to different venues, while emphasizing his own belief and commitment to give his best every time he stepped out to bat.     

“Rahul and I try to dominate in the power play. I think that’s our game plan. He shares his experience and gives me some tips on how to play at these venues. I try to do my best every time because I trust myself, I believe in it, and I go and do it,” said Nissanka. DC finished sixth in the table with seven wins and seven losses.

Another Sri Lankan cricketer with DC was fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera who played in only one game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and conceded 18 runs without taking a wicket in two overs. Chameera was in his fourth season in the IPL having earlier represented Lucknow SuperGiants.

Speedster Matheesha Pathirana was the biggest disappointment of the IPL especially for Kolkata Knight Riders who bought the Lankan pacer for a massive INR 18 Crore. Pathirana’s campaign was cut short after he was ruled out of the remainder of the season with a recurring hamstring injury.

Pathirana was initially sidelined with a left calf injury from the T20 World Cup. Upon recovering and receiving a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket, he made his KKR debut against the Gujarat Titans. He bowled just nine deliveries before leaving the field with a hamstring strain, which ultimately ended his tournament run. Incidentally, he was not selected for Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies.