Young Sri Lankan all-rounder Dunith Wellalage is all set to make an emotional return to the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 after the sudden death of his father, Suranga Wellalage.
Dunith Wellalage had rushed back home on Thursday night (September 18) after learning of his father’s passing, just hours after helping his team beat Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi to qualify for the Super Four stage.
Dunith Wellalage to rejoin Sri Lanka squad in Asia Cup 2025 after father’s sudden demise
The 22-year-old had no idea about the tragedy during the Sri Lanka-Afghanistan Group B match, which was only his fifth T20I and first in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. He bowled a full quota, finishing with figures of 1 for 49, but did not get a chance to bat.
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Once the Sri Lanka cricket team sealed victory by six wickets against Afghanistan and qualified for the Super Four round, Wellalage was informed of the heartbreaking news by the coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, on the ground, and he immediately boarded a flight to Colombo.
He was accompanied by team manager Mahinda Halangode. Wellalage is expected to be back in Dubai on Saturday, September 20, morning, along with Halangode, and the young all-rounder will be available for Sri Lanka’s crucial Super Four clash against Bangladesh later in the evening.
Sri Lanka Cricket confirms Dunith Wellalage’s availability for Asia Cup 2025 Super 4s
On Friday, September 19, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that Dunith Wellalage will be available for selection for their first Super Four match against Bangladesh on Saturday in Dubai.
Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement on a social media post: “Dunith Wellalage, who returned home to pay his last respects to his late father, will rejoin the team tomorrow morning. He will travel to the UAE tonight accompanied by Team Manager Mahinda Halangode.
Sri Lanka will begin its Super Four stage campaign of the ongoing tournament tomorrow against Bangladesh in the UAE. Wellalage will be available for selection for the game.”
The left-arm spinner has already shown glimpses of brilliance in his young career. He was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the 2023 Asia Cup, where he stunned India with figures of 5 for 40. And most recently, he bagged 5/27 in an ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024.
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Unbeaten Sri Lanka eye dominance as Bangladesh look to break the jinx in Super 4s
Notably, Sri Lanka faces Bangladesh first before locking horns with Pakistan on September 23 and archrivals India on September 26 in the Super Four stage. Now, all eyes are on the much-talked-about rivalry between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh that has been brewing over the last seven years.
This rivalry has seen its fair share of drama and awkward moments, but whenever these two teams face each other, the intensity on the field always goes to another level. Charith Asalanka’s team has looked unstoppable so far. They stormed through the group stage as the unbeaten side.
On the other hand, Bangladesh entered the Super Four stage with a mixed bag of form. Their last five completed games show a patchy record of WLWWW, while Sri Lanka’s chart reads WWWWL. Both sides know the stakes are higher than ever, and neither will want to lose momentum at this moment.