Sports

Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on a glorious career that spanned 14 years and included 123 Tests - 68 of them as captain - in which he scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85.

Kohli said in social media, "As I step away from this format, it's not easy - but it feels right. I've given it everything I had, and it's given me back so much more than I could've hoped for. I'm walking away with a heart full of gratitude - for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I'll always look back at my Test career with a smile."

Australia’s 174-run defeat marked their biggest ODI defeat by runs against Sri Lanka on Friday, eclipsing an 82-run loss at the same venue in 2016.

Hosts Sri Lanka dampened Australia’s preparations for the Champions Trophy as they recorded a thumping 174-run victory in the second ODI to seal the series 2-0 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.

With their Champions Trophy preparations already staggered by the absence of their star pacers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis (retired), the series defeat serves as a huge blow to the ODI World Cup champions.

After opting to bat first, Charith Asalanka’s men put on a hefty 281/5 on the board on the back of wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis’ stroke-filled century.

Captain Asalanka and Janith Liyanage then provided a strong finish with their 35-ball 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket. While Asalanka remained unbeaten on 78 off 66 balls, Liyanage struck 32 in 21 balls.

Source: The Indian Express

--Agencies

In a remarkable achievement, Kamindu Mendis has become the first-ever player to slam fifty-plus scores in eight consecutive Test matches.

The stylish southpaw attained the phenomenal batting feat during Sri Lanka’s ongoing Test match against New Zealand at Galle International Stadium.

Coming at number five, Kamindu Mendis showcased exemplary skills to notch up his fourth half-century in Test cricket.

After Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the toss and opted to bowl, the hosts had a disastrous start to their first innings, losing Pathum Nissanka cheaply.

However, former skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and ace batter Dinesh Chandimal helped them recover from the early setback. The duo stitched a valuable stand of 122 runs for the second wicket before Karunaratne’s run out brought the Kiwis back into the game.

Although Chandimal departed soon after completing his century, Kamindu Mendis joined forces with Angelo Mathews, keeping Sri Lanka ahead of their counterparts on day 1. The in-form batter brought up a sublime half-century, with the hosts finishing on 306 for three at stumps on day 1.

Since making his Test comeback, Kamindu Mendis has been a force to reckon with the bat for Sri Lanka.

In the recently concluded England series, the left-handed batter oozed his class, playing a pivotal role in the visitors’ impressive performance.

His recent performance in the second Test match against New Zealand has made him the first player in over 147 years of Test history to score more than fifty runs in each of his first eight Test matches.

This impressive feat brings a fresh perspective to Mendis’ career and highlights his potential as a significant player in the sport.

Prior to this match, he had already set the bar high, succeeding in scoring more than fifty runs in each of his previous seven matches. Mendis surpassed the previous record held by Pakistani batsman Saud Shakeel, who managed to achieve this in seven consecutive Tests.

Mendis made his Test debut against Australia in Galle in 2022, where he impressed everyone with a solid score of 61 runs. Despite not being included in the Test squad for some time following his debut, he made a significant comeback this year during the Sylhet Test against Bangladesh, where he achieved a remarkable feat of scoring centuries in both innings.

He continued to showcase his talent by scoring 92 runs in the Chittagong Test, followed by an impressive 113 runs during the Manchester Test against England. Further solidifying his place, he scored 74 runs at Lord’s and 64 runs in the Oval Test.

--Agencies

Sri Lanka secured their first Women’s Asia Cup title win on Sunday, beating India with a clinical run-chase in front of home fans. This was also just the second time in their nine final appearances that India failed to win the Women’s Asia Cup.

The previous such instance was in 2018, when Bangladesh beat India by three wickets.

Samarawickrama was the Player of the Match in the Final, while Chamari Athapaththu was the Player of the Tournament for her 304 runs and three wickets in the event.

Sri Lanka’s top order batter Pathum Nissanka on Friday (Feb.09) stroked the maiden double-century hit by a Sri Lankan cricketer in ODI format.

Nissanka scored 210 off just 139 balls to register the first-ever individual double century for the Lions.

The 25-year-old will go down in the ODI history as the 12th player to hit a double-century in international cricket.

A short while ago, the star opener played a delightful knock against Afghanistan in the first ODI at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka were 370/2 when Nissanka reached this historic milestone.

Meanwhile, Nissanka also broke the record 189 runs scored by Sanath Jayasuriya against India in Sharjah in 2000, which remained the highest ODI score amassed by a Sri Lankan for over 20 years.

This also re-writes the history as the highest number of runs scored by a Sri Lankan player at a home playground breaking the record.

The title to hold the highest score in the world’s ODI history is held by Rohit Sharma, who slammed 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014.

Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets to win the only test match between the two nations, in Colombo.

Afghanistan, batting first, were bundled out for a modest 198 runs. Opening batsman Rahmat Shah top-scored with a fighting 91, but the Sri Lankan bowling attack, led by the pace of Vishwa Fernando (4 wickets) and the spin of Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya (3 wickets each), proved too strong.

In reply, Sri Lanka piled on a mammoth 439 runs, building a commanding lead. Veteran Angelo Mathews anchored the innings with a masterful 141, while Dinesh Chandimal provided valuable support with a fluent 107. Opener Dimuth Karunaratne also chipped in with a solid 77. Despite Naveed Zadran's four-wicket haul for Afghanistan, the Sri Lankan batting line-up proved too deep and diverse.

Set an improbable target of 443, Afghanistan could only manage 296 in their second innings. While young Ibrahim Zadran impressed with a fighting 114 and Rahmat Shah continued his good form with a brisk 54, the Sri Lankan bowling attack maintained their stranglehold.

Chasing 56 runs to win, Sri Lanka reached target in less than 10 overs, winning the game by 10 wickets and a day to spare.