In a dramatic turn of events on Day 1 of the second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand a??t the Galle International Stadium, Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne was left fuming after his unfortunate run-out. The mix-up with his batting partner, Dinesh Chandimal, led to a rare moment of frustration for the usually composed Karunaratne, and the incident became one of t?he key talking points of the day.

Dimuth Karunaratne’s frustrating run-out incident

Sri Lanka, after winning the toss and electing to bat on a typically spin-friendly Galle track, were progressing steadily when the disaster struck in the 39th over. At that stage, Karunaratne, who had been playing a patient innings, was looking well-set on 46 off 109 balls, having hit four boundarie?s. Alongside Chandimal, he had buil??t a solid partnership and was steering Sri Lanka toward a strong position.

However, on the ve?ry first ball of the 39th over, bowled by Mitchell Santner, a m?oment of confusion unfolded between the two experienced batters. Santner delivered a ball on the leg side, which Karunaratne flicked towards mid-wicket. Glenn Phillips, fielding at mid-wicket, made a brilliant diving stop to cut off what appeared to be a certain single. Karunaratne, reacting immediately, set off for a run, but Chandimal hesitated.

By the time the fielder had retrieved the ball, Karunaratne had almost reached Chandimal at the non-striker’s end, leaving no way to return to his crease. The quick-thinking Phillips fired the ball towards short-leg, where Tom Latham, though initially unsure, collected it and underarmed a direct hit at the stumps, catching Karunaratne well short. Despite a valiant attempt to make his ground, Karunaratne had no chance.

Also READ: Sri Lanka names a strong 15-member squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in UAE

As the New Zealand team celebrated an unexpect??ed wicket, Karunaratne’s frustration boiled over. He exchanged words with Chandimal before storming off the field, clearly upset by the miscommunication that had cost him his wicket. Chandimal, on the other hand, appeared apologetic, knowing that the mistake had broken a 122-run partnership.

Here’s the video:

Costly mix-up 🫣@IamDimuth departs as Sri Lanka's 1️⃣2️⃣2️⃣-run stand is broken �?a href="//twitter.com/hashtag/SonySportsNetwork?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="exclude">#SonySportsNetwork #SLvNZ pic.twitter.com/5UmAsoJQMs

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 26, 2024

The run-out was a significant blow for Sri Lanka, who were 139/2 at that point. Karunaratne’s departure ended what had been a promising partnership with Chandimal. Despite the setback, Chandimal went on to make amends by scoring his 16th Test century, which happens to be his first aga??inst New Zealand.

At stumps on Day 1, Sri Lanka stood at 306/3, with New Zealand managing to pick up only three wickets – Karunaratne’s run-out and the dismissals Pathum Nissanka (1 off 3) and Chandimal. After Chandimal’s dismissal, Angelo Mathews (78 not out) and Kamindu Mendis (51 not out) made New Zealand bowlers toiled hard on the flat Galle surface.

Al??so READ: Bangladesh all-roun?der Shakib Al Hasan opens up about his T20I and Test retirement

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

In a significant move within the Sri Lankan cricketing circles, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have officially named a new Test captain, marking the end of Dimuth Karunaratne‘s leadership tenure that began in 2019.

Dimuth Karunaratne’s leadership era

Sri Lanka’s Chief Selector, Upul Tharanga, confirmed the replacement of Karunaratne as the Test cap??tain. N?otably, Karunaratne took charge during a challenging period in Sri Lankan cricket and led the team for 30 Tests, achieving a balance of 12 wins, 12 losses, and six draws. His notable achievements include guiding Sri Lanka to a historic Test series victory in South Africa in 2019, a milestone for Asian sides in the cricketing history.

Statistical highlights

Under Karunaratne’s captaincy, not only did Sri Lanka witness significant victories, but fans also saw the best of his batting prowess. With an impressive average of 49.86 as captain, Karunaratne outshone his career average of 40.93. Additionally, he ascended to the top of the Test batting rankings during his captaincy tenure.

Also READ: Sri Lanka unveils squad for home ODIs against Zimbabwe; Akila Dananja??ya returns

The dawn of a new captain

Now, as Sri Lanka Cricket looks toward the future, the responsibility of leading the Test team has been handed over to the accomplished Dhananjaya de Silva. Dhananjaya brings with him a wealth of experience, having played in 51 Tests, with ten centuries and 13 fifties to his credit. His maiden assignment as captain awaits against Afghanistan in a ?one-off Test scheduled to begin on February 6.

Sri Lanka’s recent captaincy changes

This announcement follows a series of recent captaincy changes in the Sri Lankan cricketing landscape. Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga were appointed to lead the ODI and T20I teams, respectively, making Dhananjaya the third captaincy change within?? a short span??.

Also READ: Sri Lanka Cricket names new T20I captain as they announce squads for white-b??all series against Zimbabwe

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne has return?ed to the to??p 10 in the latest released Test Player Rankings by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday.

Karunaratne was named ‘Player of the Match’ in the opening Test against West Indies in Galle, thanks to his scintillating batting. The Lankan skipper had scores of 147 and 83?? in the match, which helped him jump four places to seventh, just one below his career-best sixth spot accomplished in August 2019.

Apart from Karunarane, New Zealand opener Tom Latham has also joined the top-10 batters rankings after hitting half-centuries in both innings (95 and 52) of the recently concluded first Test to save a crucial draw for the Blackcaps against Indi??a in Kanpur.

Australian star Steve Smith has gained one place to acquire the second position by replacing Kane Williamson in the batters rankings headed by England Test captain Joe Root. Indian stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retained their fifth and six??th slots, respec??tively.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has slipped one spot to reach the eighth place, while Aussie opening batter David Warner has lost two positions to tenth.

Among the bowlers, Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi has gained three spots to reach his career-best f??ifth position.

Afridi was a star with the ball in the recently concluded first Test against Bangladesh. The left-arm pacer picked up seven wickets in the match that the visiting side won by eight wickets.

Similarly, New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson has entered the top-10 after taking a three-wicket haul against India in the Kanpur Test. Jamieson jumped six places to acquire the ninth spot in the bowlers’ rankings headed by Pat Cummins.

Indian star Ravichandran Ashwin, who took six wickets in the Kanpur Test to go past Harbhajan Singh to become India’s 3rd highest wicket-taker in red-ball format, retained his second spot.

Afridi, Jamieson, Latham and Karun??aratne on the charge 👊

All the latest changes in the @MRFWorldwide Test player rankings 👉 //t.co/sBZWT92hhH pic.twitter.com/4dHZoUV67z

— ICC (@ICC) December 1, 2021

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world after football. Cricket boards of major countries make a lot of money a?nd pay heavily to their skippers.

The captain’s role is not just limited to the field, but he represents his nation in the sport everywhere he makes an appearance. He is the one who manages the side, plans the tactics and helps them change their course of destinies during horrendous phases.

Hence, it?? is justified that the captai??ns get paid a lot.

Here are nine teams and the salary of their leader??s:-

Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka Test Captain) �?51.03 lakhs

Sri Lanka was a team to reckon with till legends like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Tillakaratne Dilshan – played for the nation. But, once the stalwarts retired, Lanka found itself in tatters.

They changed 5-6 capt??ains to be sure who could take them to a reputable position in the Internatio?nal Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings.

The selectors unanimously turned their faces to Dimuth Karunaratne, who led the side to their famous overseas Test win against South Africa in 2019.

However, things haven’t been all sunshine for the Lions, who could only emerge victorious in 3 of the next 12 red-ball matches.

As per the latest contracts, Karunaratne, who captains the Test team, earns about USD?? 70,000 annually.

Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka Limited Over Captain)- 25 lakhs

Kusal Perera was recently given the reins of the limited-overs team when Karunaratne was sacked despite winning 10 out of 16 ODIs.
Perera didn’t have a good time as he lost his first ODI series against Bangladesh 1-2.

The left-handed batsman supposedly earns USD 35,000 per year, while it remains to be seen if the management decided to rope in Perera as the T20I skipper in place of Dasun Shanaka, who earns USD 65,000.

Babar Azam (Pakistan Captain)- 62.40 lakhs

Babar Azam has established himself as the mainstay of the Pakistan team and took over the duties ?of the captain from Azhar Ali in the red-ball format and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the limited-overs format in 2020.

Babar has proved his mettle as a skipper since Pakistan won all four Test matches, 4 out o??f 6 ODIs and 13 T20Is from the 21 contests th?ey participated in.

As of now, the right-handed ??batter draws a salary of 13.2 Million PKR, which is around INR 62.40 lakhs.

Kieron Pollard (West Indies Limited Over captain)- INR 1.73 crores

Kieron Pollard was announced as the captain for the limited-overs format after a dismal show by the West Indies in the 2019 World Cup.

Pollard?? earns USD 250,000, which is approxim??ately INR 1.73 crores for his white-ball campaigns.

This has also led veteran players like Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell to come back to the national side.

Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies Test captain)- INR 1.39 crores

Kraigg Brathwaite was named as the skipper for the longest format after Jason Holder declined to participate in the team.

Brathwaite helped his side whitewash Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, albeit f??ailed to register any wins after that.

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) has given Braithwai??te another chance as he fetches USD 200,000 (INR 1.39 crores) per season.

Kane Williamson (New Zealand skipper)�?INR 3.19 crores

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has his own orthodox captaincy methods. Williamson is known to be very patient who wait??s for the right t??ime to use his aggressive tactics.

Under his leadership, the Black Caps entered the finals of the ICC World Cup 2019 and have now qualified to play the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India.

The veteran batsman draws USD 440,000 annually, which includes a USD 40,000 bonus for being the side’s captain.

Temba Bavuma (South Africa Limited Over captain)- INR 2.5 crores

Temba Bavuma is the first Black African to be the permanent c??aptain of the Proteas team. Bavuma has led his side to a ??solitary victory in the three ODIs against Pakistan.

Though Bavuma was ruled out in the T20I ?series against Pakistan due to a hamstring strain, he remains the official skipper in the short??est format as well.

AS per the latest cont?racts, Bavuma receive?s USD 350,000 as his salary.

Dean Elgar (South Africa Test Captain)- INR 5.4 crores

Dean Elgar replaced Quinton de Kock as the captain of the Test team. de Kock was axed from captaincy since Cricket South Africa (CSA) director G??raeme Smith felt that it would?? help the former perform better with the bat.

Meanwhile, Elgar’s first assignment would be against West Indies in June in an? away series. Elgar reportedly draws USD 450,000 for his contract with CSA.

Aaron Finch (Australia’s limited over captain)- INR 5.4 crores

Aaron Finch was roped in as the permanent captain of the Australian side after Steve Smith was banned for a year following the ball-t??ampering controversy.

Finch helped his side grab semi-final birth in the tournament before being ousted by the World Cup winners for that edition- England.
Overall, the right-hander has secu?red 23 wins from 41 ODIs and? 22 victories in 43 T20Is.

Finch earns about USD 750,0?00 from th?e cricket board.

Tim Paine (Australia’s Test Captain)- 2 crores

Tim Paine ??was handed over the captaincy responsibilities after Steve Smith was sent back home along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft due to their involvement in the ball-tampering incident.

Paine drew the 2019 Ashes in England and helped his side retain the trophy. Although the wicket-keeper batsman lost the recent Border Gavaskar trophy against India in a dramatic fashion, ??he will lead the team?? for the 2021 Ashes at home.

P?aine makes approximately USD 278,000 under hi??s new contract.

Virat Kohli (India’s captain)- INR 7 crores

Virat Kohli has helped India occupy the numero-uno spot in Test rankings and qualify for the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final.

In the ICC Men’s ODI rankings, India is placed at the third position, just behind New Zealand and Australia.

Though India have reached the?????????????????????????? cusp of winning major ICC trophies, the team lost due to its misfortunes.

Yet Kohli has risen to the o?ccasion ?with his power-packed performances whenever needed.

The Indian skipper is placed in Grade A+ contracts of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and receives INR 7 crores as his annual salary.

Eoin Morgan (England’s limited over captain)- INR 1.75 crores

Eoin Morgan led England to their first ICC Men’s World Cup i?n 2019. Morgan is regarded as one of the best limited over skippers to have captained the Three Lions.

Overall, England have won 72 out of 121 ODIs and 33 from the 57 T20Is they partici?pated in.

Though England lost the T20I series against India, Morgan would be looking to turn the tides in his favour in the T20 World Cup slated to be played later this year.

The 3??4-years-old apparently draws GBP 170,000 for his services.

Joe Root (England’s Test Captain)- INR 8.97 crores

Joe Root is the highest-earning captain on this list. Although Root hasn’t secured any Ashes Trophy in his two attempts, he still remains the favourite for England Cricket Board (ECB).

The prolific r??un?-scorer has helped his side defeat South Africa and India at home.

Given the charge of captaincy after Alastair Cook stepped down in 2017, ?Root earns GBP 8?70,000 annually.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

After a gap of more than t??en years, Test cricket will return to Pakistan as Sri Lanka will play their World Test C??hampionship (WTC) matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

After ??more than 10 years, Test cricket will return to Pakistan in December whe?n Sri Lanka will play their World Test Championship matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

🏏 1st Test
📅 11-15 December
🏟 Pindi Cricket Stadium

🏏 2nd Test
📅 19-23 December
🏟 National Stadium //t.co/UejLVK9OPo

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 14, 2019

On Friday, Sri Lanka announced its 16-member squad for the upcoming Test ser?ies in Pakistan. The Dimuth Karunaratne led Lankan team will leave for Pakistan on December 8.

Dine??sh Chandimal has been? called up for the series against the Men in Green.

Kasun Rajitha has replaced Akila Dhananjay, who was suspended from bowling in international cricket for 12 m??onths due to il??legal action.

The first match will be played at the Rawalpindi Cric??ket Stadium from December 11, and the final Test will take place at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi from December 19.

After the announcement of the Sri Lankan squad, former cricketer-turned-commentator Russell Arnold took a cheeky dig at the selectors. In his Twitter post, Russell wrote: “Surprised that SL have picked a full-strength team for the upcoming Tests. I mean after the T20’s 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂�?#8221;

Surprised that SL have picked a full strength team for the upcoming Tests …. I mean after the T20’s 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂�?/p>

— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69) November 30, 2019

In October this year, the young and inexperienced Sr??i Lankan brigade defeated Sarfaraz Ahmed-led? Pakistan 2-1 in the three-match T20I series.

Sri Lanka squad:

Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya De Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Dilruwan Perera, Lasith Embuldeniya, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando,?? Kasun Ra?jitha, Lakshan Sandakan.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

After a long wait of 10 years, the international ODI series finally returns to Karachi??. The first game of the three-match tournament will be played on Friday (Sept 27).

International Cricket is all set to return to Pakistan after a long time! pic.twitter.com/VwQkACSGsU

— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ) September 25, 2019

This is the home team’s first tournament under the supervision of the new chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq. Sarfaraz Ahmed will be captai?ning the side, while Babar Azam will take the role of vice-captain.

For Sri Lanka, in the absence of Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne will lead the charge.

Schedule::

• Sep 27, Fri: 1st ODI – National Stadium, Karachi (10:00 AM GMT / 03:00 PM LOCAL)
• Sep 29, Sun: 2nd ODI – National Stadium, Karachi (10:00 AM GMT / 03:00 PM LOCAL)
• Oct 03, Thu: 3rd ODI – National Stadium, Karachi (10:00 AM GMT / 03:00 PM LOCAL)

Squads:

Pakistan:
Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Soha?il, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz.

Sri Lanka:
Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danus??hka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama,?????????????????????????? Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara

Live Streaming and Broadcast details:

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has clearly expressed his disappointment over Sri Lankan players pulling out of the upcomi?ng ODI & T20I series versus Pakistan, starting September 27. Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Dimu??th Karunaratne and Niroshan Dickw?ella were among the ten cricketers, who decided to back out due to security reasons.

Akhtar opened up on his official Twitter handle: “So disappointed with the 10 Sri Lankan players who have pulled out of Pakistan tour. Pakistan has always been a huge support for SL cricket. Recently after deadly Easter Attacks in SL, our Under-19 team was sent on tour there, being the first international team to volunteer.�?/strong>