Desk Report:
Sri Lankan spinner receives news of father’s death after winning
Dunith Wellalaghe had a bittersweet match. His team Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan to secure the Super Four of the Asia Cup. In this match, he had to digest 5 consecutive sixes from Afghan batter Mohammad Nabi. In total, he spent 32 runs in the last over. Later, Sri Lanka’s 6-wicket victory made him forget that painful experience. But even on the day of such a victory, Wellalaghe received the bad news of losing his father.
Sri Lankan media outlet Newswire reported that Wellalaghe’s father Suranga Wellalaghe died of a heart attack in Colombo. Suranga himself was addicted to cricket. He played a few matches as a wicketkeeper-batsman for the Prince of Wales team. However, he later changed his profession.
Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed, mourning the death of Wellalaghe’s father, wrote on Facebook, “My deepest condolences to the Wellalaghe family. Whose father died tragically of a heart attack. He received the tragic news immediately after Sri Lanka’s match against Afghanistan.
Sri Lankan team manager informed Wellalaghe of his father’s death immediately after the victory. Wellalaghe gave away 49 runs in 4 overs against Afghanistan yesterday. He took the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner has already played 1 Test, 31 ODIs and 5 T20Is for Sri Lanka.
