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<ul><li>Pakistan could be the dark horse this season, even though the Sri Lankan cricketer is rooting for three other teams.</li><li>The man with the maximum dismissals in ODIs as a wicketkeeper, calls Ashwin’s inclusion ‘fantastic’ for India’s World Cup chances.</li><li>Shubman Gill is the man to watch out for for India, given that he has scored over 1,200 plus ODI runs in the current calendar year.</li></ul> For a cricket crazy country like India, the World Cup is much more than a tournament and it brings plenty of action both on and off the field. Plenty of time and money is spent on picking winners even before the tournament starts with experts found at every tea stall playing Nostradamus. As the ICC World Cup kicks off today, Business Insider India caught up with former Sri Lankan cricketer, <keyword id="22772" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kumar-sangakkara" source="Orion">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword>, to do some crystal ball gazing and asked him to play Paul – The Animal Oracle – who became famous across the world for picking Spain as the winner of the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Australia, India and England are the three world cricket super powers and it is no surprise that Sangakkara expects them to be jostling for glory in the knockout stages of the tournament. “You can't look past India, because India will go in as favourites home conditions. They love playing at home, they know them very well. And in terms of the way they've been playing in the recent past, it's been amazing to see how they have really gelled as a side.” From the late ’90s to the mid-2010s, Sri Lanka was possibly only next to Australia when it came to ICC tournaments. The islanders won the World Cup in 1996 and also reached the finals of the tournament in 2007 and 2011. Along with this, they were also runners up in the T20 World Cups in 2009 and 2012, lifting it finally in 2014. One of the men at the forefront of this Sri Lankan dominance, Kumar Sangakkara, also shed light on the dwindling popularity of the 50-over format as a whole. But more on that later. The tournament favourites India won the World Cup in 2011, the last time it was played in the subcontinent and the conditions this time too will suit the host nation. Sangakkara also remembers the tournament, except the final with fondness. “I remember it very fondly, except for the final of course, as a wonderful campaign. I mean, we've had a history of amazing World Cups. In terms of playing World Cups, we knew how to play them. We knew how to win games and unfortunately, you know, came second in the final hurdle (in 2011). We had a few injuries at the last minute which kind of derailed our campaign but overall, I think it was a fantastic tournament.” Back to 2023, Sangakkara reckons apart from India, England will be the team to watch out for. The defending champions play an ultra attacking version of the sport under the tutelage of Brendon Mcullum and Jos Buttler-led side has been also boosted by the return of two formidable allrounders from retirement – Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes. “England, I would put that number two in terms of being favourites. Because again, they've been playing great cricket. Their spin (department) is good. They've got a huge amount of batting depth and all rounder depth,” says Sangakkara. The fourth team that can make it to the semis is South Africa, as per the former Sri Lankan captain, who also picked a dark horse which could go all the way. “I will put India, England, Australia and South Africa as my four to watch… I mean sentimentally I would love Sri Lanka to be in the mix. I think they can definitely make the playoffs. They play very well in big tournaments. But that's a secondary consideration in terms of the front runners… I'll have to add Pakistan as a kind of dark horse that might win the tournament,” he says. Batters to watch out for World Cups are long tournaments and consistency is a key in going the long distance. Sangakkara’s records show that he was an absolute master at churning out one major performance after another – he holds the record for the maximum consecutive 50s (7 in Tests) and also has the maximum consecutive centuries in a World Cup edition (four back-to-back centuries in 2015). However, the humble southpaw says that the latter record is ‘easily’ possible for some of the heavyweights that will enter this edition. “In terms of India, there are Kohli and Sharma at the top who are fantastic and have the ability to do it. In every side – Kane Williamson for New Zealand, England play a different kind of game where they just all out attack-attack. And they have players who can easily do the same. I think every country will go there… Babar Azam of Pakistan. So, there are quite a lot of players,” he says. For Indian fans, Shubman Gill’s current form – he has scored over 1,200 plus ODI runs in the current calendar year – will be of key importance in the tournament too. Sangakkara points out that he will be crucial to the campaign: “Anyone who bets at the top is going to be key, especially in the one day format. And yeah, his (Gill’s) ability has been, you know, unquestionable. He knows how to play beginnings.” India’s spin selection conundrum Sangakkara is happy that his Rajasthan Royal allrounder, <keyword id="200030" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ravichandran-ashwin" source="Orion">Ravichandran Ashwin</keyword> has finally been included in the Indian World Cup 2023 squad. He explains that selecting a World Cup squad is a tough ask for the selectors as they have to look at the balance of the squad in particular playing conditions and therefore sometimes, some favourites, such as Yuzvendra Chahal get left out. “I think Ashwin’s inclusion is fantastic. I mean, I love the way Ashwin and Chahal bowl. India unfortunately has to balance or fortunately has to balance their squad. So it's a shame that Chahal missed out but at least one of them is there. And with that kind of experience (Ashwin’s), it is crucial in big tournaments. And of course, Jadeja is there. His place is unquestioned. Kuldeep Yadav with his left hand wrist spin adds a little bit of mystery and he's bowled exceptionally well.” The fate of the 50-over format A question which repeatedly crops up in modern cricket is the impact of league cricket on the 50-over format. While Test cricket still manages to hold on to a loyal base, the number of 50-over series and tournaments have dipped in recent years. Sangakkara believes that this is a complicated topic with a lot of factors at play but agrees with the likes of Yuvraj Singh who have said that this edition of the 50-over World Cup might be one of the last. “I think it's (ODIs) going to struggle a little bit. I think it already is struggling in terms of holding the fans unless it's a benchmark tournament like the World Cup,”he says. A solution? Sachin Tendulkar had suggested making ODIs a four-inning affair of 25 overs each sometime back. According to Sangakkara, “It could be that you play more one day cricket during a World Cup year to lead up to it and much less in terms of the rest of the four year cycle.” However, this does not mean that the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals to his name in ODIs (482) is not hopeful about the future of the game as a whole. With women cricket getting off the blocks in true sense, he sees tremendous potential for the sport as a whole. “In terms of franchise cricket, T20, T10 as well… the game is going global. We've seen it now enter the US, we're going to see it in the Olympics. So, the global drive for cricket to be mainstream in terms of sport is there and that's another exciting kind of thing to look forward to,” he signs off.

Kumar Sangakkara’s beyond-the-stump forecast on who will win ICC World Cup 2023 and the fate of ODIs

Alastair Cook, Kumar Sangakkara lead the top ten left-handed run scorers in test match cricket

TRP-hungry TV shows, masala news debates, scripted reality shows step aside – it’s time for a cocktail of all three. Yes, IPL is back and the cricketing world is abuzz with festive cheer. So, as we join these celebrations and gear up to cheer for our favourite teams in the following days, let’s have a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of IPL. 
 
THE GOOD 
As the eighty eight warriors from eight teams get set go, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with its amazing win-loss ratio seems to be a hot favourite. CSK’s bright track record evolves from its achievement in making it to the final four in previous seven IPL tournaments. Having won two IPL titles, it has played four finals till date. Of 115 matches played in IPL, CSK has won 69 and lost only 44; thereby, attaining the best win-loss ratio of 1.57. 
 
THE BAD While they were there in first and the last IPL played, Kings XI Punjab, the Ness Wadia co-owned team has failed to qualify for the final four in 5 IPL tournaments. With a Win-Loss Ratio of 1.10, it has found a companion in <keyword id="13802" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajasthan-Royals">Rajasthan Royals</keyword> in terms of not-up-to-the-mark performance. Rajasthan Royals has won 54 out of 104 matches. However, the only consolation for Rajasthan Royals over its comparison to the bhangra brigade is its victory in the first IPL edition. 
 
THE UGLY Though Delhi Daredevil has made it to the Final Four <keyword id="108404" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="thrice">thrice</keyword>, yet its performance had been the poorest. Having lost 59 matches out of 105, it has the lowest win-loss ratio of 0.75. Now with <keyword id="351" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Yuvraj-Singh">Yuvraj Singh</keyword> in their court, Delhi finally aspires to hit a home run, something that IPL followers are also looking forward to this season. 
 
KNOCK(OUT) STAR With power and panache being their sole mantra, <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> Knight Riders have always been the IPL queen bee. Having raised the trophy twice in 7 seasons, KKR is known for its knockout skills. The achievement is based on KKR’s 77% victory in the final-four stage. 
 
<keyword id="161142" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Best-Buy">BEST BUY</keyword> Ever since the IPL was conceptualized, player auction has become the norm. Though auction rates vary from time to time, this year’s IPL auction has found in Yuvraj Singh an extravagance. Having bought by <keyword id="13845" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Delhi-Dare-Devils">Delhi Dare Devils</keyword> for Rs 16 crores, ex Royal Challenger Bangalore, Yuvi has recently made headlines for his venturing to support young entrepreneurs. 
 The 3 best buys in the IPL this season are: Yuvraj Singh (Delhi Dare Devils) for Rs 16 crore, Dinesh Karthik( <keyword id="12643" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers">Royal Challengers</keyword> Bangalore) for Rs 10.5 crore, and <keyword id="125980" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Angelo-Matthews">Angelo Matthews</keyword> (Delhi Dare Devils) for Rs 7.5 crore. 
 The lowest bargains this year are: Hanuma Vihari of <keyword id="1494441" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sunrisers-Hyderabad">Sunrisers Hyderabad</keyword>, Sumit Narwal of Kolkata Knight Riders, Akshay Wakhare of <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword>, Shishir Bhavenane of Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Brainder Sran of Rajasthan Royals. All of these players have been sold for Rs 10 lakh in the IPL auction that happened this February. 
 However, it’s definitely surprising that acclaimed players like <keyword id="22772" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kumar-Sangakkara">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword>, <keyword id="23015" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mahela-Jayawardene">Mahela Jayawardene</keyword>, <keyword id="70374" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tillakaratne-Dilshan">Tillakaratne Dilshan</keyword> and Shadab Jakati found no takers in the latest season of IPL. 
 
 
 
 
(Statistics courtesy : Wikipedia) 
 (Image: <keyword id="-101" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India-Times">India Times</keyword>)

The good, the bad and the ugly of the IPL

On the eve of their second game at Ahmedabad, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/tillakaratne-mudiyanselage-dilshan/9001/9034">Tillakaratne Dilshan</a> had explained how a total in the region of 280-300 had become a norm in 50-over cricket, especially after the new field restrictions were put in place. His words were almost prophetic as after being restricted to 274, <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> weren't able to control a rampaging Indian batting order that finished off the job with six wickets in hand and 5.3 overs to spare, going 2-0 up in the five-match series and moving ever so close towards taking an unassailable lead. 
 
The pre-match buzz centred mostly around local lad <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/akshar-rajeshbhai-patel/4001/31051">Akshar Patel's</a> first international match at his home ground, but even as he impressed with his accurate left-arm spin in the middle overs to stifle Sri Lanka, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ambati-thirupathi-rayudu/4001/31025">Ambati Rayudu</a> walked away with the honours near his adopted home - Baroda - where he plays his domestic cricket. He has mostly been confined to a back-up role in a star-studded line-up, but has made the most of the limited opportunities he has had so far, and returning not out on 121* (118b, 10x4, 4x6) after setting up the chase would have been doubly satisfying. 
 
 
 
India went into the game with three spinners on a Motera surface that looked like it would assist the medium pacers more, but <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli's</a> ploy worked wonders as Sri Lanka were kept to 274 for 8 in the day/night fixture. The visitors put in a better batting effort as compared to Cuttack, but <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/angelo-davis-mathews/9001/9058">Angelo Mathews</a> - whose 92* (101b, 10x4, 1x6) added some solidity to the total - would have been kicking himself for not capitalizing on what looked like a good toss to win. 
 India's run chase wasn't perfect in any way after Ajinkya Rahane was removed by Dhammika Prasad in the seventh over for 8, caught brilliantly by <keyword id="23015" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahela-Jayawardene">Mahela Jayawardene</keyword> at slip on rebound after wicketkeeper <keyword id="22772" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kumar-Sangakkara">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword> had spilled a regulation chance. To their credit, Sri Lanka's pacers began well and Lahiru Gamage could have had Dhawan for 10 in the eighth over when the umpire turned down a frantic appeal for caught behind. 
 
Promoted to No. 3, Rayudu, along with <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> consolidated for long periods before laying into the change bowlers, and Dhawan took the lead after reaching his seventh ODI half-century. As Dhawan accelerated by taking 16 off a Thisara Perera over, Rayudu continued to play the accumulator, and wasn't until the left-hander holed out to deep square leg off Seekkuge Prasanna for 79 (80b, 7x4, 1x6) did Rayudu decide to step it up. 
 Rayudu was particularly impressive against Sri Lanka's spinners, nimble on his feet as he took boundaries and sixes off them with ease, and exercised restraint when the bowlers were on top. After adding 122 with Dhawan, Rayudu combined with <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> to add 116 more as the asking rate dropped significantly. Kohli (49, 44b, 2x4, 2x6) and <keyword id="14587" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Suresh-Raina">Suresh Raina</keyword> (14, 6b, 1x4, 1x6) fell in quick succession to Prasanna (3/53) towards the end, but Rayudu ensured India closed the chase without much drama. 
 
Mathews' innings in the afternoon had turned out to be pivotal, as with Kumar Sangakkara (61, 86b, 4x4) they added 90 vital runs that revived Sri Lanka's innings after being reduced to 64 for 3 in the 14th over. But unlike India who had decided to take their batting Powerplay early at Cuttack, Mathews and Sangakkara held back and only chose to go for it in the 32nd over, and lost three wickets during that period, losing Sangakkara, Prasanna and Ashan Priyanjan while adding just 30. 
 Umesh Yadav, who had begun with the wicket of Kusal Perera in the very first over of the innings, returned to break the threatening stand when Sangakkara smacked a full toss straight to Dhawan's at long on, while Akshar Patel delivered another impressive spell of 2/39 in front of cheering home fans. <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword>, who was included in place of the injured <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword>, went for plenty (1/64) but R Ashwin (2/49) and Patel ensured the wickets continued to tumble. 
 Yadav and <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword> bowled a tidy opening spell and kept things tight until Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara stuck up a breezy partnership, and Dilshan somewhat broke the shackles by belting four consecutive boundaries in Ashwin's first over. But Patel struck with the second ball of his spell when he bowled Dilshan in the next over, and Mahela Jayawardene could only muster 4 before scooping one straight to midwicket off Ashwin. Sri Lanka's stuttering innings was revived by Mathews and Dhammika Prasad (30*, 28b, 4x4) towards the end, as the pair put on 54 for the ninth wicket and played out their full quota of overs.

Ambati Rayudu's Maiden Ton Takes India 2-0 Up

Cuttack: India's poor showing with the white ball, especially in the death overs has been troubling the team as recently as the abandoned series against the West Indies, but their fast bowlers gave a favourable account of themselves during a comprehensive 169-run win over <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> in their first game of the series on Sunday. While the batsmen continued to dominate the performances with <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-madhukar-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> hitting fluent centuries, it was the pace bowling triumvirate of <keyword id="149050" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Umesh-Yadav">Umesh Yadav</keyword>, <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a> that impressed under lights and heavy dew at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. 
 
An early start to day/night fixtures on account of the dew prompted Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews to put the hosts in to bat, but an extremely good batting surface, coupled by rapid centuries from Rahane ​(111, 108b, 13x4, 2x6) and Dhawan ​(113, 107b, 14x4, 3x6) took out any advantage the chasing side may have had. The Indian openers added 231 runs in 35 overs, and despite their quick dismissals soon after, the middle order powered them to 363 for 5 in the first game of the five-match contest. 
 
In reply Sri Lanka were bowled out for 194 inside 40 overs, with Ishant picking up 4 for 34 - his best bowling figures in ODI cricket - to highlight an eye-catching performance from the Indian seamers, even though India would be sweating over the status of Aaron, who had hobbled off the field while bowling his fifth over with a thigh strain. While India impressed, Sri Lanka were left to rue their poor bowling performance and the batsmen's inability to put pressure on India's bowlers instead, with only <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/denagamage-proboth-mahela-de-silva-jayawardene/9001/9003">Mahela Jayawardene</a> (43, 36b, 6x4, 1x6) looking comfortable in the middle until hitting straight into Virat Kohli's hands off Akshar Patel. 
 The Sri Lankan batsmen would have expected some freebies especially early on with the new ball, but Yadav and Aaron began probingly, repeatedly beating the outside edges of both <keyword id="352871" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Upul-Tharanga">Upul Tharanga</keyword> and Tillakaratne Dilshan. India's pace bowling duo cranked up the pace from the start and the Sri Lankan openers struggled to time the ball. Dilshan fell to Yadav caught behind for 18 in the ninth over and Sri Lanka had failed to get a move on. <keyword id="22772" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kumar-Sangakkara">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword>'s wicket for 13 made matters worse, and the trend of regular wickets continued right until the last wicket. 
 Dhammika Prasad and debutant Lahiru Gamage, opening the bowling in the absence of the injured <keyword id="64162" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lasith-Malinga">Lasith Malinga</keyword> and Nuwan Kulasekara - not picked for this game - had earlier kept the Indian openers quiet as Gamage even slipped in a maiden over, but Rahane and Dhawan hit their groove soon after. They were also helped by two rare tough chances put down by Kumar Sangakkara, but aside from that they were seldom troubled on a batting paradise. 
 
Run-fests are common in limited overs contests played in India, but what was encouraging in terms of Virat Kohli's captaincy was India's decision to take the batting Powerplay early, allowing the openers to step up the scoring rate between overs 23 and 28. Dhawan and Rahane took 62 runs in those five overs as they capitalized on the fielding restrictions, as opposed to the usual ploy to take the Powerplay towards the latter stages of the game. 
 Suraj Randiv (3/78) and Ashan Priyanjan managed to pull the hosts back by sending back Rahane and Dhawan respectively, but the damage had already been done. <keyword id="14587" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Suresh-Raina">Suresh Raina</keyword>, playing his 200th one-day international, also completed 5000 ODI runs while scoring a brisk 34-ball 52, before being trapped leg before by Randiv. Quick wickets towards the end didn't allow India to reach that 400-run mark, but Kohli (22), Ambati Rayudu (27) and Akshar Patel (14*) ensured they weren't too far behind. 
 
Brief scores: India 363/7 in 50 overs (Dhawan 113, Rahane 111; Randiv 3/78) beat Sri Lanka 194 in 39.2 overs (Jayawardene 43; Ishant 4/34, Yadav 2/24, Akshar 2/24) by 169 runs

Ishant, Openers Power India To 169-Run Win

High on confidence after win in the first Test at Galle, <keyword id="6355117" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="South-Africa">South Africa</keyword> will look to create history by sealing their first series win in <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> in 21 years as the Proteas take on the hosts in the second match, starting Thursday at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo. Traditionally, the SSC pitch can easily be regarded as a sleeping beauty. However, with the series on the line and a Test required to win, Sri Lanka will hope for a surface that offers a lot of turn. They would need all the help from the pitch as the South African pacer <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/dale-steyn/8001/8051">Dale Steyn</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/morne-morkel/8001/8057">Morne Morkel</a> have showed that no matter what the surface is, disciplined bowling can help in taking wickets. 
 
Sri Lanka have not lost a Test here in more than 10 years. However, on a happy hunting ground for the hosts, only four out of the last 10 Tests have produced a result in their favour, rest have been draws. Once again they will be banking heavily on their stalwarts <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kumar-sangakkara/9001/9011">Kumar Sangakkara</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mahela-jayawardene/9001/9003">Mahela Jayawardene</a>. The famed duo carved the South African attack to all parts of the SSC the last time the two teams met here when the world-record stand of 624 saw Sangakkara miss out on a triple ton and Jayawardene miss out on a 400. 
 For South Africa though, only two current players from their 2006 squad will be having the horrid memories - AB de Villiers and <keyword id="12829" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Dale-Steyn">Dale Steyn</keyword>. With a settled and hungry middle order comprising Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and De Villiers plus form of the Galle centurions Dean Elgar and <keyword id="69475" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="JP-Duminy">JP Duminy</keyword>, the Proteas go into the final Test as a slightly better batting force. Their bowling, however lethal in the first Test, will be tested to the limit on a deck full of runs. 
 
Team News: 
 
Sri Lanka: The hosts have made two changes in their squad. One has been form-based call of Dinesh Chandimal being dropped and uncapped wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella nearly set for debut. The other forced decision is that Shaminda Eranga misses out due to injury and Dhammika Prasad is favourite to take his spot in the playing XI. Spinners Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera will have to raise their game in order to trouble the South African batsmen. 
 
Probable XI: 1.Kaushal Silva 2. Upul Tharanga 3. <keyword id="22772" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kumar-Sangakkara">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword> 4. Mahela Jayawardene 5. Lahiru Thirimanne 6. Angelo Mathews 7. Niroshan Dickwella 8. Dilruwan Perera 9. Dammika Prasad 10. Rangana Herath 11. Suranga Lakmal 
 
Watch out for 
 
Local boy Jayawardene has some appetite for runs at this venue. With 2698 runs at an average of 77 and 10 hundreds to boot here, the former skipper has more runs than any other player on a single venue. He will be more than eager to once again make an impact as he plays his penultimate game on his choicest venue. If he scores big, Sri Lanka will garner enough wherewithal to challenge their opposition. 
 
South Africa: 
 
Their potent bowling makes them one of the biggest challenges that hosts would have faced of late, on what has usually been a placid track. At Galle, Steyn and Morkel took a total of 16 wickets with a deadly combination of pace, seam and reverse swing. They are likely to make the ball talk if and when the surface becomes abrasive. The only possible change in their ranks could be Wayne Parnell replacing Vernon Philander, who went wicketless in the first Test. With the bat, new captain Amla will have to impress upon as a leader, while opener Alviro Petersen is due a big score. 
 
Probable XI: 1. Alviro Petersen 2. Dean Elgar 3. Faf du Plessis 4. Hashim Amla 5. AB de Villiers 6. JP Duminy 7. Quinton de Kock 8. Dale Steyn 9. Vernon Philander/Wayne Parnell 10. Imran Tahir 11. Morne Morkel. 
 
Watch out for 
 
Steyn - world's best Test bowler and by some distance, is in rollicking form and by the looks of his showings this year (21 wickets in 4 games), he is on course to better his best figures in Sri Lanka, 9/99, which he took in Galle. Steyn's skill as a pacer is unparalleled and each batsmen will have to be at the top of his game to counter his penetrative style of attack. SSC will test him, but if any fast bowler one would want to bank upon to make an impact here, it would be Steyn.

2nd Test: SL Aim To Square Series On Batting-Friendly SSC

<keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> have been meticulously planning for the 2015 ICC World Cup. For Sri Lankans the focus on the World Cup started with the Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh in February. That was exactly with one year to go for the tournament. 
 
The Sri Lankans won that competition comfortably with an unbeaten record. But their main focus was to win series away from home before the challenge in Australia and New Zealand. Hence, the five-match series against England was high on the agenda. 
 
That Sri Lanka overcame this challenge with a hard fought 3-2 win in tough conditions is indication that they are moving in the right direction. They were the losing the finalists in the last two World Cups in the West Indies (2007) and subcontinent (2011) and they want to go all the way in 2015. 
 Prior to the 2015 World Cup, there will be two short home series against <keyword id="6355117" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="South-Africa">South Africa</keyword> and Pakistan, two strong outfits and then a lengthy seven-match series against New Zealand away from home just before the World Cup. These games, especially the lengthy tour of New Zealand, should get the team well prepared for a grand show in the World Cup. 
 
They will savour the ODI series win in England for many reasons. One of the things that the selectors and the team management focused on was allowing younger players in the team to take more responsibility. They will be glad that vice-captain Lahiru Thirimanne kept his cool in the series deciding final game in Birmingham to post an unbeaten half-century during a tense run chase. Thirimanne was named Man of the Match 
 Ashan Priyanjana was another player who was tried out during the series and his 43 off 33 balls with two fours and two sixes in the second game in Durham was another highlight from a <keyword id="197090" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="young-player">young player</keyword>. Fielding was another discipline that Sri Lankans were putting a conscious effort to improve on and although this tour hasn't stood out for excellence on the field, there are signs that the team is gradually getting there. The ambition for Angelo Mathews' side is to be the best fielding unit during the World Cup above New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. 
 The senior players – <keyword id="22772" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kumar-Sangakkara">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword>, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakeratne Dilshan - all played crucial roles during the series and Sangakkara's brilliant century at Lord's in the fourth ODI, his first hundred at the Home of Cricket was the standout. 
 
The series win is doubly special as the senior players were angered by the defection of Head Coach Paul Farbrace to England's ranks, a mere two weeks before the tour. There were concerns that England had the edge with Farbrace possessing a sound knowledge of Sri Lanka's strong points and weak links. The players, particularly, the seniors were pumped up to prove that Farbrace defection wasn't a major blow. 
 
The icing on the cake was the series win resulting in Sri Lanka moving up to No 2 in the official ICC Rankings just below Australia. 
 
The idea is to knock Australia out and take the number one spot before long, but for the home series against South Africa and Pakistan they will carry on a few more experiments in order to get the combination right for the World Cup. The proof for their meticulous planning is in their ODI record as this year of the 14 ODIs they have played, Sri Lanka have won 12. With so much planning going in ahead of the World Cup, there's no reason why they should not do well in Australia and New Zealand in eight months time. 
 Everything is not perfect though. The two defeats the tourists suffered at The Oval and <keyword id="2023" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Old-Trafford">Old Trafford</keyword> saw humiliating batting collapses. In the first ODI at The Oval they were shot out for 144 as the top order failed to negotiate the moving ball well. At Old Trafford they hit a new low getting bowled out for 67 runs, their lowest against England and third lowest overall. The Sri Lankans definitely need to tighten their games when conditions aren't to their linking as it was in the case at The Oval and Old Trafford when the seam bowlers got plenty of assistance. 
 
A huge drawback was offspinner Sachithra Senanayake, who was their highest wicket-taker during the series getting reported for a suspect bowling action. Senanayake's action now will come under the microscope and his reporting has upset Sri Lanka's planning somewhat. They weren't too pleased when the bowler was reported after they had squared the series and just before the deciding ODI. 
 
It was a massive disappointment to see allrounder Thisara Perera being discarded after the first game at The Oval. The move was initiated in order to get the balance right. But Perera is not the kind of player Sri Lanka should be discarding to get the balance right. His name should be one of the first picks after the five names that are certain to play – Mathews, Malinga, Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan. 
 Mind you Perera was Man of the Match in the one off T20 international where his monstrous hitting powered the tourists to 183 runs. Perera smashed 49 off 20 deliveries with seven fours and two sixes before accounting to England <keyword id="16561" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="skipper">skipper</keyword> Eoin Morgan. Perera truly is a match-winner. 
 
For some reason, the selectors believe that Perera is better suited for T20 cricket. But the selectors having indicated that they are desperately looking at fast bowling allrounders for the 2015 campaign, there's no way they can discard Thisara Perera. 
 
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Series Win An Indication SL Moving In Right Direction

Cricket has seen many greats come and go, but very few would argue that anyone came close to <keyword id="6354267" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sachin-Tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</keyword>. The Indian batting maestro has been voted the 'Best <keyword id="17665" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Test-Player">Test player</keyword>' of the 21st century in an online poll conducted by <keyword id="44302" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Cricket-Australia">Cricket Australia</keyword>'s website. 

	The former India skipper got the highest number of votes to emerge on top of the list of the 100 best Test players since 2000, in a poll conducted by cricket.com.au, reported PTI.
 Moreover, <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword>'s Kumar Sangakkara got the second highest votes, followed by <keyword id="14583" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Adam-Gilchrist">Adam Gilchrist</keyword> of Australia, who was ranked third. Currently the 'Icon' of <keyword id="6354831" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League">Indian Premier League</keyword> (IPL) franchise <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword>, Tendulkar earned 23% of votes, with over 16,000 fans participating in the survey. Sangakkara got 14% after Cricket Australia released the top-100 Test players' list since 2000 on its website. 

	The Indian legendary batsman, who retired from international cricket in 2013 after playing his 200th Test, is the lone Indian player to be figuring in the top-10 list, while there are four Australian, three South African and two Sri Lankan cricketers.
 

	"After 10 days of counting down and no end of deliberations, cricket.com.au released its final countdown of the 100 best Test players since 2000 a couple of days ago. Readers debated the top 10, just as you did players 11 through 100, but we also provided an opportunity for you to decide your No.1 Test player of the century," CA's website stated.
 "Tendulkar, the Little Master who remains an iconic figure in the sport, was a runaway winner, jumping four places from where cricket.com.au had him placed, while batting giants <keyword id="6367229" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ricky-Ponting">Ricky Ponting</keyword> and <keyword id="61954" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jacques-Kallis">Jacques Kallis</keyword> were separated on countback, with the Australian just edging out his Proteas counterpart," it said. 

	The 42-year-old Tendulkar, who is the only batsman to have hit 100 international centuries, holds the record for highest run scorer in both Tests and One-Day Internationals.
 

	The Poll result: 
 1. Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) 23% 2. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 14% 3. Adam Gilchrist (Aus) 13% 4. Ricky Ponting (Aus) 11% 5. Jacques Kallis (SA) 11% 6. AB de Villiers (SA) 10% 7. <keyword id="17439" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shane-Warne">Shane Warne</keyword> (Aus) 9% 8. <keyword id="13825" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Glenn-McGrath">Glenn McGrath</keyword> (Aus) 5% 9. <keyword id="26689" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Muttiah-Muralitharan">Muttiah Muralitharan</keyword> (SL) 3% 10. <keyword id="12829" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dale-Steyn">Dale Steyn</keyword> (SA) 1% 
	(Image: Reuters)

Another feather in Sachin’s cap! Voted best Test player of 21st century

The obsession for cricket in India is similar to what it is for football in Brazil and Spain. And as the opening ceremony of <keyword id="1588054" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICC-World-Cup-2015">ICC World Cup 2015</keyword> drew to a close and the on-field battles begin, cricket enthusiasts are expressing their love for the gentleman’s game not only on-ground but even online. 
 According to global search trends data generated by <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> search: Fans from every cricket loving nation seem to be gearing up to show support for their favourite teams and players. Currently, search queries from cricket freaks are now pouring from all corners of the world, the data added. 
 
Google’s analysis of worldwide searches also revealed that cricket is also uniting people from across the globe. TEAM INDIA emerges as the top contender for this year’s World Cup being followed closely by Australia, England, Pakistan and the West Indies, the search giant added. 
 Among the marquee stars, <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> remained the most sought after player. He was followed by Indian skipper <keyword id="6354832" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="MS-Dhoni">MS Dhoni</keyword> and Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi. The other foreign players who’re witnessing strong support online include David Warner, <keyword id="61810" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shakib-Al-Hasan">Shakib Al Hasan</keyword>, <keyword id="31412" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Michael-Clarke">Michael Clarke</keyword> and <keyword id="84726" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Steve-Smith">Steve Smith</keyword>. 
. 
The search trends further stated MS Dhoni to be the most searched captain followed closely by South Africa’s AB de Villiers, Michael Clarke of Australia, England’s Eoin Morgan, and Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq. 
 The top searched bowlers list in the ICC World Cup 2015 is dominated by Australian and English players. Bowlers who fans consider to be the main threat to batsmen are Mitchell Johnson (Australia), James Anderson (England), Mitchell Starc (Australia), Stuart Broad (England) and final <keyword id="967087" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mohammed-Shami">Mohammed Shami</keyword> (India). And surprisingly, no bowler from South Africa, West Indies or New Zealand features in this line-up of the top bowlers. 
 
On the other side of the fence, the all-rounders being rooted for the most by fans across the cricketing world and expected to deliver the most solid and consistent performance with both bat and ball are Stuart Binny (India), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Steve Smith (Australian), <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> (India) and <keyword id="6378477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shane-Watson">Shane Watson</keyword> (Australian). 
 
Top searched Wicket keepers include Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka), Quinton de Kock (South African), Luke Ronchi (New Zealand), and Brad Haddin (Australian), who will be holding fort from behind the stumps, as per the data released by Google. 
 
Even as support by cricket fans for Team India continues to grow on the digital stage set by Google, the much-awaited match between arch rivals India and Pakistan may develop new search trends. 
(Image: www.icc-cricket.com)

ICC World Cup 2015: Google’s digital stage showcases India’s love for cricket

There are some cricket grounds where batsmen amass runs in their sleep. The records which they have established at a particular venue make them memorable. Gocricket.com takes a look at batsmen who have scored plenty of runs at a particular venue. 
 
1. Mahela Jayawardene at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) (Tests: 26, Runs 2838*, Average: 79.97, Centuries 11, Fifties 8) 
 
One look at the numbers that <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mahela-jayawardene/9001/9003">Jayawardene </a>has amassed at the SSC is eye-popping. 11 centuries at this venue is a world record. He has scored 2799 runs, which is the most by any batsman at a venue. The consistency of Jayawardene at the SSC is legendary. His first major knock was 242 against India in 1999 which gave <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> victory. At one point, from 2006 to 2008, Jayawardene scored four consecutive centuries at this venue. However, his knock of 374 and his partnership of 624 with Kumar Sangakkara against <keyword id="6355117" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="South-Africa">South Africa</keyword> will be remembered for its sheer enormity of the numbers. It is only a matter of time before the SSC stadium is renamed as the Mahela Jayawardene Recreation Park. 
 
2. <keyword id="61954" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jacques-Kallis">Jacques Kallis</keyword> at Newlands, <keyword id="33769" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="cape-town">Cape Town</keyword> (Tests 22, Runs 2181, Average 72.7, Centuries 9, Fifties 9) 
 
Without a shadow of doubt, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/jacques-kallis/8001/8004">Kallis </a>is the Lord of Newlands. He has smashed nine centuries at a venue which has traditionally favoured bowlers. Some of his exploits at this venue are legendary. He smashed 161 and 109* against India to help South Africa avoid defeat. The most astonishing part was that he did it on one leg. His knocks against England and Australia set up victory for the team. Newlands is associated with the picturesque Table Mountains but it will also be associated with Kallis' knocks. 
 
3. Sir <keyword id="80481" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Donald-Bradman">Donald Bradman</keyword> at the <keyword id="9385" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Melbourne">Melbourne</keyword> Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne (Tests 11, Runs 1671, Average 128.53, Centuries 9, Fifties 3) 
 
Bradman's monstrous appetite for runs was evident in the way he played at the MCG. In 11 matches, he scored nine tons and went without a century only once in his whole career at the MCG. His lowest century score is an unbeaten 103 but it came in the infamous Bodyline series of 1932/33. He was dismissed for 0 in the first innings but slammed 103 in the second to help Australia level the series in what was a bitter series. His next greatest moment came in 1937 when, on a damp sticky dog of a wicket, he reversed the batting order and scored 270 batting in the No. 7 position. He shared a 346-run stand with Jack Fingleton to help Australia win the match by 365 runs. This performance helped Australia come back from 0-2 down to win the five-match series 3-2. This is the only time so far that this feat has been achieved. 
 
4. Kumar Sangakkara at the SSC (Tests 21, Runs 2159, Average 77.1, Centuries 8, Fifties 5) 
 
Jaywardene's record is unbelievable at the SSC but <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kumar-sangakkara/9001/9011">Sangakkara's </a>record is no flash in the pan. Out of his eight centuries at the SSC, he has scored three double centuries. His first major knock was 232 against South Africa in 2004 and South Africa never managed to get past his individual score in both innings. His 287 against the same opponents in 2006 was memorable for the 624-run stand with Jayawardene. The SSC has indeed been a happy hunting ground for these two best friends. 
 
5. Michael Clarke at Adelaide (Tests 9, Runs 1279, Average 98.38, Centuries 6, Fifties 3) 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/michael-clarke/1001/1027">Clarke</a>, in a way, has been Bradmanesque at Adelaide. He has scored three consecutive centuries twice at this venue. His first purple patch came in 2006 and 2008 when his 124 helped Australia achieve a remarkable come from behind win against England. In his next two matches against India and <keyword id="22501" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="New-Zealand">New Zealand</keyword>, his centuries gave Australia a platform from where they could push for victory. In his next patch, he scored two consecutive double centuries against India and South Africa as he made the venue his own. His average of 98.38 is second only to Bradman when it comes to his performances at this venue. 
 
*The number of runs is updated at the end of day one of the second Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa at the SSC. The order is according to the most number of centuries. 
 
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Lords Of A Cricketing Venue

In the gloom of the Edgbaston weather, there was a moment which sparked a talking point in the fifth ODI. In the 43rd over, Sachithra Senanayake mankaded Jos Buttler. Apparently, Buttler was warned twice which was fair enough. When he did it for the third time, Senanayake knocked the bails off at the bowler's end and the appeal was made. The umpires conferred with <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> <keyword id="16561" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="skipper">skipper</keyword> Angelo Mathews and he did not withdraw the appeal. Buttler was given the marching orders and Edgbaston roared with boos. 
 
It was interesting to note that Senanayake was in the midst of this situation. Prior to the match, there was some tension on the surface when it emerged that his action was reported after the conclusion of the fourth ODI at Lord's. The furore generated by the British press centred on only one broad fact which was: The move was technically sound but not in the spirit of the game. Now, cricket has often been caught in the crossroads when it comes to technical execution and spirit of the game. This can be a subject matter for later. 
 The controversy generated by the off-spinner takes our memory back to that warm and sunny day in Adelaide during the Carlton and United tri-series in 1999 between England and Sri Lanka. Umpire Ross Emerson no-balled <keyword id="26689" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Muttiah-Muralitharan">Muttiah Muralitharan</keyword> and signalled that he was called for chucking. Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga did not appreciate it and play was held up for 14 minutes as Ranatunga led his players off the park. After heated consultations with the <keyword id="343751" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sri-Lankan-Cricket-Board">Sri Lankan Cricket Board</keyword>, play went on but the bad blood did not end there. Darren Gough head-butted Roshan Mahanama after the batsman was apparently trying to obstruct the bowler's path while taking a run. Alec Stewart also did it and he went one step further by telling Ranatunga that his behavior as a country <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="captain">captain</keyword> was appalling. 
 
In this backdrop, the accusations came from both sides. Umpire Emerson went on to say that Muralitharan's action was worse than ever but the ICC had cleared the bowler of chucking. The media, in general, was critical of Emerson for pursuing his own agenda. 
 There have been further instances of controversy when England and Sri Lanka squared off in a three-Test series in 2001. In that series, bad umpiring from all the officials, most notably from BC Cooray in the second Test at Kandy, led to a breakdown in behavior from players in both teams. The moment which grabbed plenty of eyeballs came when Kumar Sangakkara and <keyword id="90933" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Michael-Atherton">Michael Atherton</keyword> were involved in a heated argument with Atherton wagging his finger at Sangakkara. Apparently, Atherton claimed that Sangakkara called the England team cheats. 
 When one looks at the events in Edgbaston, the issue is not on whether Senanayake had broken the law. Clearly, he and Sri Lanka did no wrong in mankading Buttler. Once bitten, twice shy is a sign for individuals to be careful. Repeating the offence a third time, even after getting warned in the previous over, was a clear sign that it was time for Buttler to go. England captain <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> said that a line has been crossed. However, he would do well to remember this line from British novellist George Jenkins' book, 'The Strange Case of Mr. Challoner'. In that, the now famous line was said when a crime was committed, 'The But(t)ler did it.' 
 
Senanayake and Sri Lanka should be commended for this action. England, and more urgently, Buttler needs to introspect and look carefully at the laws. It is clear: Sri Lanka were right and England were in the wrong. What is your opinion?

Sri Lanka And England: A Controversial Past

Former wicketkeeper batter <keyword id="19979266" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dinesh-Karthik" source="keywords">Dinesh Karthik</keyword> was on Tuesday signed by <keyword id="20471770" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paarl-Royals" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Paarl Royals" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Paarl Royals">Paarl Royals</keyword> for the third season of the <keyword id="20060435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SA20" source="keywords">SA20</keyword>, making him the first Indian cricketer to participate in the <keyword id="22684931" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-African-league" source="keywords">South African league</keyword>, starting on January 9. Karthik, 39, retired from all forms of cricket in June this year and since then he has been roped in as a mentor-cum-batting coach by IPL side <keyword id="21019173" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bengaluru" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Royal Challengers Bengaluru" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Royal Challengers Bengaluru">Royal Challengers Bengaluru</keyword>. "I have so many fond memories of playing in and visiting South Africa, and when this opportunity came about, I couldn't say no because of how special it would be to come back to playing competitive cricket and win this incredible competition with the Royals," said Karthik, who has played 180 matches for India across all three formats. His last competitive T20 outing was for RCB in the IPL 2024, for whom he made 326 runs in 14 matches at a strike-rate of 187.36. Karthik's last match in India colours was against Bangladesh during the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022. "I am delighted to be joining the Paarl Royals team which oozes a lot of experience, quality and potential. I am certainly looking forward to joining the group and contributing to what should be an exciting season," Karthik, who was roped in as the league ambassador a day earlier, said. Royals' Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, hoped to tap in the extensive T20 experience of Karthik. "Dinesh has served as one of the modern-day greats for India in white-ball cricket, and his wealth of experience will contribute to the making of our side. "He has always proved to be a great asset for the teams he's represented across leagues for the way he approaches the game and the impact he can make," said Sangakkara. At the Royals, Karthik will join other international stars like skipper <keyword id="20201753" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="David-Miller" source="keywords">David Miller</keyword>, Joe Root, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo and Kwena Maphaka.

Dinesh Karthik joins Paarl Royals, becomes first Indian player to enter the South African league

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 28 (ANI): Australian opener <keyword id="60604" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="david-warner" source="Orion">David Warner</keyword> on Saturday overtook India's <keyword id="6354486" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli" source="Orion">Virat Kohli</keyword> to become the fourth-highest run-scorer in ICC <keyword id="22177" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-cup" source="Orion">World Cup</keyword> history. The 36-year-old achieved a personal landmark during the World Cup match against New Zealand at Dharamshala. In the match, Warner looked in amazing touch, scoring 81 in just 65 balls, with five fours and six sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 124.61. In 24 World Cup matches, Warner has scored 1,405 runs at an average of 63.86 and a strike rate of almost 102. He has six World Cup tons, most by an Australian and four half-centuries, with the best individual score of 178. In six matches of this World Cup, Warner has scored 413 runs at an average of 68.33 and a strike rate of over 112. He has two centuries and a fifty, with the best score of 163. Viral Kohli has scored 1,384 runs in 31 matches at an average of 55.36, with three centuries and nine fifties. Top 5 <keyword id="12133408" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="odi-world-cup" source="Orion">ODI world cup</keyword> Scorers Sachin Tendulkar (2,278 runs in 45 matches at an average of 56.95, with six centuries and 15 fifties), Australia's Ricky Ponting (1,743 runs in 46 matches at an average of 45.86, with five centuries and six fifties) and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (1,532 runs in 37 matches at an average of 56.74, with five centuries and seven fifties) are ahead of Warner. In 24 World Cup matches, Warner has scored 1,405 runs at an average of 63.86 and a strike rate of almost 102. Viral Kohli has scored 1,384 runs in 31 matches at an average of 55.36, with three centuries and nine fifties. Coming to the match, a 175-run opening stand between Travis Head (109 in 67 balls, with 10 fours and seven sixes) and Warner and contributions from lower middle-order such as Glenn Maxwell (41 in 24 balls, with five fours and two sixes), Josh Inglis (38 in 28 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and skipper Pat Cummins (37 in 14 balls with two fours and four sixes) powered Aussies to 388 in 49.2 overs. Glenn Phillips (3/37) and Trent Boult (3/77) were the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand. Mitchell Santner got two wickets while Matt Henry and James Neesham took one each. Australia have three wins in five games while New Zealand have four wins in five matches. (ANI)

Warner overtakes Virat Kohli, now fourth in total World Cup runs

<ul><li> <keyword id="9951693" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="fantasy-sports-platforms" source="Orion">Fantasy Sports Platforms</keyword> are on the rise in India with revenues tripling since FY20.</li><li>The next phase of <keyword id="1759314" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="fantasy-sports" source="Orion">fantasy sports</keyword> will have AI generated avatars competing.</li><li>Meta11, one such AI-generated FSP, aims to earn revenue via hosting <keyword id="1612654" type="General" weightage="30" keywordseo="original-content" source="Orion">original content</keyword> and streaming the games.</li></ul> The ICC World Cup fever is gripping the nation. Right from stock brokers to central bank governors, few are able to make a statement without a cricket pun. But that’s not where the fun stops. It’s also the season for cricket lovers to engage in fantasy gaming. It’s now a serious business with revenues tripling in the ongoing financial year from FY20, according to a Deloitte report. Seasoned cricket players are taking to this as well and former Sri Lankan skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, has co-founded one such company -- Meta11, an AI-generated fantasy sports platform, which aims to earn revenue via hosting original content and streaming the games. Business Insider India caught up with Sangakkara and Krishan Deegalla, CEO of Behaviol, the company focusing on bringing fantasy sports on the metaverse via Meta11. Edited excerpts. Question: Sangakkara, you are one of the few cricketers who is also a startup founder. Why does the business of fantasy sport interest you? Sangakkara: It came from a thinking that – how do we really give everyone access to cricket? Not everyone has the ability to pick up a bat and ball and play. But there's so much love for this sport. How do we actually make sure that cricket is for everyone? Web based gaming has a great opportunity for that. That was the starting point for this and then when we brainstormed and came up with the concept of Meta11. It has AI controlled avatars playing the sport, being able to predict outcomes and others. It's amazing to see so many people being able to live out their cricketing dreams on our platform, and that is the real key – cricket is for everyone. Cricket has such a strong emotional connection. Once you're a cricket fan, you're always a cricket fan. Who knows, some of our strategies and tactics and game moments might even influence tactical decision making later on in real life cricket as well. Question If I don't know the first thing about playing cricket other than watching it, am I a target audience? Sanga Anyone can play this because the avatars are artificial intelligence led. So, they learn as a player in the game. If you own your own avatar, you can expose your avatar to training to more match play, the more experience they get they learn on their own. It's a great tool to spread awareness about cricket as well in its globalisation drive. Question There are a lot of fantasy gaming apps in India. How do you differentiate yourself? Sanga Our game is so simple to log in, and you play the game and you get rewards for playing not for paying. Our tech platform, our avatars, our digital creations are cutting edge and industry leading in terms of cricket games out there. So we are very differentiated and we want to keep to that model. Question Do you have any plans to introduce match-wise games like normal fantasy sports? Krishan We want to see how we can connect the digital worlds and the physical, the real cricket. There is an opportunity for us to bring that into play. Where in the game, you can create a super avatar, or super digital player. You can pick five players out of both squads. And if that player does well in real life, you can earn points. We will never do just a fantasy app. It will always be linked to the game. Sanga It has the ability to drop real world cricketers into the game as well. A franchise team can play real world cricket and a fan community can play against each other on our platform. Question So, is there a possibility that one day we could be teammates on this platform? Sanga Absolutely. There is no doubt about that. You could play against me, you could play against other cricketers. Hopefully, you could play against your friends, your family members. Question Could you explain how you intend to increase engagement, and make it more interesting for the not-so-avid fan? Krishan To get the engagement, ownership is a key, allowing people to have that meaningful relationship with digital avatars. We have to train them, and create our own teams. We are also having tournaments, which will be team leagues to the platform exciting. Question The government has introduced 28% GST on fantasy gaming. Is that a cause for worry and will it eat into your earnings? Sanga I think that (28% GST) that's for the pay-to-play model. Ours is free-to-play. No user has to put his/her own money into playing. It's a very different kind of foundation we work on. Krishan If you look at traditional fantasy games, they rely on real games. There is no real content there. With us, we generate our own content. All the content that gets streamed, is owned by us. Now, we have a pathway to monetise this and give rewards back to the users. It's like organising real games. We can also expect sponsorship money, streaming rights and we can distribute it back to the community. Question You talked about streaming. If you could go into the monetisation aspect of it. Krishan We had 30,000 users on the first day. There is a huge appetite for advertising on alternative channels apart from Google, Facebook etc. That is why if you look at IPL TV rights it goes for billions of dollars. So, I think we will be a good alternative for that. The game is exciting. People will be able to relate to it and that means it will be engaging. With that we should be able to monetise it – through sponsorships and streaming. Question What’s the vision for Meta11 down the line? Krishan It is quite an evolution to have AI characters play cricket and allow people to own them. Within this framework, we have opportunities that even we have not thought about. I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities. The vision still remains to allow democratising the sport and give access to the masses. And to keep on making the platform interesting and scalable.

Can’t hit a ball? You can still play cricket in the metaverse

<ul><li><keyword id="849911" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sinhalese-Buddhists">Sinhalese Buddhists</keyword> and Muslims clashed in the districts of <keyword id="192421" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kandy">Kandy</keyword> and Ampara.</li><li>A state of <keyword id="38387" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="emergency">emergency</keyword> was declared in <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> on March 6th. </li><li>The situation has since stabilised. The government has blocked access to social media and messaging platforms in the affected regions.</li></ul>On March 6th, the Sri Lankan government declared an emergency for the first time since 2011. The move was a direct response to the outbreak of riots and clashes between members of the Sinhalese Buddhist community, which comprise 75% of the national population, and the Muslim minority, which make up about 10%, in the central district of Kandy and the eastern district of Ampara. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	












































 Sri Lanka is no stranger to <keyword id="6378337" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Communal-violence">communal violence</keyword>. For decades it endured a civil war with Tamil separatist groups, which concluded in 2009 after the Sri Lankan military seized the last few strongholds belonging to the Tamil Tigers and killed its leader. Then, in 2014, the southwestern region of the island nation was besieged by ethnic riots as Sinhalese Buddhists vandalised Muslim shops and homes. Since coming to power in early 2015, the coalition government of President Maithripala Sirisena has done a poor job of quelling communal dissent and clipping the wings of organisations like the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), a Sinhalese extremist group. The most recent clashes follow a strong performance by the party of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa in local elections. A number of hardline Sinhalese outfits like the BBS are known to support Rajapaksa. Timeline: Feb 22nd According to local media reports, M.G. Kumarasinghe, a 41-year old Sinhalese truck driver, was attacked by a group of Muslim men in Teldeniya, a town in Kandy, over a road dispute. Mr Kumarasinghe refused or was unable to yield the right-of-way to the men, who were travelling in auto-rickshaws. A fight ensued in which Kumarasinghe sustained a number of serious injuries. He was subsequently admitted to the Kandy’s Teaching Hospital the same day. Four men were reportedly arrested by the police for the assault. Feb 27th A group of Sinhalese men, who were said to be intoxicated, raided a Muslim-owned restaurant in Ampara, claiming that the establishment laced its food with ‘vandapethi’, a chemical that is believed to result in impotence. The anger of the men stemmed from the belief that Muslims have a clandestine agenda to become the majority group in the Sri Lanka. A cashier at the restaurant was forced to admit that the food was adulterated. The raid was followed by riots, in which a number of shops and a mosque were vandalised. A police force was deployed to the area. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 March 3rd Kumarasinghe succumbed to his injuries at the hospital in Kandy. March 4th In response to Kumarasinghe’s death, a Sinhalese mob attacked and looted Muslim establishments, residences and mosques in Teldeniya. A number of Sinhalese men also shut down their shops to protest the police’s supposed lack of action against Mr Kumarasinghe’s killers. Night: Two Buddhist extremist clerics, Ampitiye Sumana and Amith Weerasinghe, were reported to be seen inciting riots in the area. March 5th Morning: The Sri Lankan government sent hundreds of officers, including the Special Task Force and military personnel, to Teldeniya and neighbouring towns in the district. A number of people were arrested for their participation in the riots the previous day. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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11 AM: A mob of Sinhalese men banded together in Teldeniya after a call to assemble was disseminated via social media. They started burning Muslim properties in the town soon after. They also called for the release of 24 men who were arrested. 4 PM: A curfew was imposed in Kandy by the police until 6 AM the following morning. 8 PM: Mangala Samaraweera, Sri Lanka’s minister for finance and media, made his voice heard. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 10:44 PM: The Sri Lankan government issued an official statement condemning the violence. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 March 6th Morning: The body of Abdul Basith, a 27-year-old Muslim, was found in the remains of a shop in Kandy. The shop was reportedly set ablaze the previous day by Sinhalese Buddhists. 5:34 PM: The country’s Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a national state of emergency on Twitter. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Around four mosques, 46 shops, 37 houses and 35 cars in Kandy had been vandalised up until this point, according to Hidayath Sathar, a member of Kandy’s provincial council. 8 PM:The police curfew was re-imposed in Kandy. 9:23 PM: The Sri Lankan government sent military reinforcements to Kandy as the violence continued. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 11:03 PM: The US Embassy in Sri Lanka issued a <a href="https://lk.usembassy.gov/security-alert-sri-lanka-u-s-embassy-colombo-sri-lanka/">security alert</a> for US citizens. March 7th Morning: The police curfew was re-imposed in Kandy again. The government decided to prevent access to social media websites like Facebook and Twitter in the affected regions. 1:25 PM: Former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakarra called for unity. His team-mate and captain Sanath Jayasuriya followed soon after. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 2:10 PM: A tweet from DialogAxiata, Sri Lanka’s major internet provider, confirmed that access to social media platforms and messaging services would be curtailed indefinitely. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The mob violence continued in Kandy as dozens of Muslim shops and houses were attacked. All government schools in the region were ordered shut until further notice. March 8th Morning: Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division arrested Amith Weerasinghe and 9 other people for their role in inciting violence. 10 AM: The police curfew was lifted. 12:44 PM: A government official told the police that the rumored sterilising substance that triggered the violence in Ampara on February 27th was actually flour. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Afternoon: A peaceful march took place in the capital city of Colombo. Two prominent television actors were said to be in attendance. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 5:24 PM: The Colombo Gazette reported that Jeffrey Feltman, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, had arrived in Sri Lanka. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The streets have been cleared out and the situation was reported to be improving. As things stand, the emergency is expected to last for ten days, after which the Sri Lankan Parliament will debate an extension.

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