All-rounder Dunith Wellalage, who topped the wicket-takers chart at this year’s ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, has earned a spot in Sri Lanka’s upcoming assignment.
Wellalage took 17 wickets in six matches at 13.58 with his left-arm spin, including two five-wicket hauls against Scotland and Australia. Not only that, he even finished the tournament as his side’s top run-maker, scoring 264 runs across six innings at an average of 44 which also featured an impressive century against South Africa.
Wellalage at the 2022 ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in numbers:
10 and 5/27 vs Scotland
52 and 5/28 vs Australia
15 and 3/39 vs West Indies
34 and 3/36 vs Afghanistan
113 and 1/29 vs South Africa
40 and 0/72 vs Pakistan
The Sri Lanka side will be led by their regular skipper Dasun Shanaka, with the five-match series starting on 14 June. The first two matches will be played in Pallekele and the remaining three in Colombo.
The 21-member squad features 12 players from the team that featured in the ODIs against Zimbabwe earlier this year, which Sri Lanka won 2-1. Nuwan Thushara, who is yet to make his ODI debut, has retained his spot while uncapped Pramod Madushan has also earned a spot.
Dhananjaya de Silva, who was on paternity leave during the Zimbabwe assignment, returns to the side. Also making his comeback to the ODI setup is all-rounder Lahiru Madushanka, who last featured in a 50-over game for Sri Lanka in June 2017.
Sri Lanka have also added Wanindu Hasaranga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Niroshan Dickwella, who all last featured in ODIs in 2021.
Squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Niroshan Dickwella, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage and Pramod Madushan
Fixtures:
1st ODI: 14 June, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
2nd ODI: 16 June, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
3rd ODI: 19 June, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
4th ODI: 21 June, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
5th ODI: 24 June, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- International Cricket Council
