Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup: In with a Roar, Out with a Whimper
Since their fall from grace following the retirement of stalwarts Kumara Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka haven’t had much success. Coming into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, the Lankan Lions were ranked 10th in the ICC rankings, below long-underperforming teams such as Bangladesh and the West Indies.
However, the start to their tournament was so good that people began viewing them as one of the dark horses of the tournament. Having to qualify through a preliminary group stage alongside the likes of Ireland, the Netherlands, and Namibia, the Lankans didn’t just win their group – they obliterated every opposition.
Sri Lanka’s first opponent was Namibia, and while the latter isn’t exactly a cricketing powerhouse, they have since proved their worth by defeating Ireland, the Netherlands, and Scotland. The Lankans bowled them out for a measly 96 before overcoming their target with 6 and a half overs to go and 7 wickets in hand.
Next came the more established Ireland, but despite some early pressure, Sri Lanka managed to pile up 171 and proceeded to dismantle Ireland for a 70-run win.
If those two sounded one-sided, the island nation took on the Netherlands next and massacred their batting lineup. With a target of just 45 on the board, the Lankans won by 8 wickets with just short of 13 overs remaining.
Come the Super 12s, Sri Lanka’s first opponent was Bangladesh, and although things looked dicey at times, they managed to weasel out a win against the odds to get ever closer to their goal of qualifying to the next round.
However, their fairytale ended there. They were defeated comprehensively by the Aussies, edged out in a nail-biter by the Proteas, and failed to make the best of their chance against England. Now they await their match against the West Indies, which looks like it’s going to be a dead rubber for both underperforming teams.
Nevertheless, Sri Lanka has shown sparks of brilliance at the T20 World Cup and will have plenty of good things to take away from the tournament to assess and build upon. Some of their players performed admirably, while other weak points were exposed.
One thing’s for sure – winning their last match will serve to improve their morale.
For more T20 World Cup bites, visit cric-life.com.
Pakistan will host West Indies for a 3-match T20I series that will be played in Karachi with the first match scheduled on 13th December 2021. For the same, a 15-man squad was announced by the Pakistan selectors this Thursday, and the selection raised a lot of questions amongst cricket enthusiasts and fans. Players like Imad […]
Yorkshire-born fast bowler Tymal Mills will be joining the Perth Scorchers squad for this year’s Big Bash League. The Scorchers, who were runners-up in the competition last year, secured the 29-year-old pacer following the injury of another Englishman Brydon Carse, who will be outright unable to take part in the tournament. Perth Scorchers coach Adam […]
If you’ve been in touch with Indian cricket over the last 3 months, you have undoubtedly heard the name Umran Malik. Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, the fast bowler rocked the cricketing world when his meteor-like delivery clocked in at 152.95 km/h in the Indian Premier League, giving him the record for fastest-ever delivery bowled […]
Former South African all-rounder Lance Klusener has chosen against the renewal of his contract as Afghanistan head coach. Klusener’s tenure ends on the last day of the year after over 2 years in charge, after having taken the job following the exit of former West Indies international Phil Simmons following the 2019 ODI World Cup. […]
If reports are to be believed then, the owners of Manchester United, the Glazer Family, are looking to diversify their investments and acquire a cricket team in the upcoming 2022 UAE T20 Cricket League that the UAE Cricket Board will organise. This tournament, in all likelihood, will comprise of 6 teams, and the league in […]
According to Liton Kumar Das, his absence from the Bangladesh squad for the T20 cricket series versus Pakistan has helped him. The wicket-keeper-batter says that by excluding him from the team, the selectors have helped the player to prepare for the Test series, with the first match beginning on 26 November. As things transpired, Das […]