Dunith Wellalage’s Father Passes Away on Asia Cup Match Day
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Suranga Wellalage, father of Sri Lankan all-rounder Dunith Wellalage, passed away on September 18. This happened on the same day Dunith took the field for Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup Group B clash against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.
The 22-year-old cricketer learned about his father’s death right after the match ended. Sri Lanka pulled off a thrilling six-wicket victory, staying undefeated and booking their spot in the Super Four stage. As soon as the game wrapped up, Dunith headed home, according to reports from ESPNcricinfo.
Dunith didn’t have his best day with the ball. He finished with figures of 1/49 in four overs, including a tough final over where he leaked 32 runs and gave away five sixes to Afghanistan’s Mohammed Nabi.
This personal tragedy now raises questions about Dunith Wellalage’s availability for the rest of the Asia Cup 2023. Sri Lanka faces Bangladesh on September 20, Pakistan on September 23, and India on September 26.
This was Dunith’s fifth T20I appearance and his first in this tournament. He’s no stranger to big stages, though. In ODIs, he’s played 31 matches, snagging 39 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls against India. One of those came during the 2023 Asia Cup ODI edition, where he took 10 wickets overall—the joint-second best in the tournament—at an average of 17.90.
With the bat, Dunith shines too. He’s scored 386 runs in 24 ODI innings at an average of 20.31, complete with a half-century. In T20Is, he has seven wickets so far.
Now, let’s break down the match that Dunith played through unknowingly. Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Sri Lanka’s bowlers struck early, with Maheesh Theekshana grabbing 4/18 in the powerplay to leave the Afghans tottering at 40/3.
Ibrahim Zadran fought back with 24 off 27 balls, including a six, while captain Rashid Khan added 24 off 23 with two fours and a six. But Afghanistan slipped to 114/7 in 17.1 overs. Then came the fireworks from veteran Mohammed Nabi, who smashed an unbeaten 60 off just 22 balls—featuring three fours and six sixes. His brutal assault, including those five sixes off Dunith in the last over, helped Afghanistan post 169/7 in 20 overs.
Chasing 170, Sri Lanka hit a rough patch early, losing in-form opener Pathum Nissanka cheaply. Kusal Perera chipped in with 28, but the team wobbled at 119/4 in 14.5 overs. That’s when Kusal Mendis stepped up big time. Looking in top form, he remained not out on 74 off 52 balls, smashing 10 fours. He teamed up with Kamindu Mendis, who fired 26* off 13 balls with two sixes, for a match-winning 52-run partnership.
Sri Lanka crossed the line with eight balls to spare, sealing a six-wicket win and keeping their Asia Cup campaign on track. Our thoughts are with Dunith Wellalage and his family during this tough time.
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