Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that  leading Indian milk producer – Amul will be the ‘Official Sponsor’ of the Sri Lanka Men’s Team for the duration of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

“Amul’s partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket is an excellent move, as associating with an international sports brand is definitely going to help the firm gain market growth and further enhance its brand visibility among the international audience,” said SLC CEO – Mr. Ashley De Silva.

“Amul is a proven model for dairy development and is proud to associate with Sri Lanka also for the benefit of their small and marginal farmers. Amul has been associated with the Sri Lankan team most recently in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, and we are proud to further strengthen our association with the Sri Lanka Cricket Team and wish them all the best for the T20 World Cup,” said Mr. Jayen Mehta, Managing Director, Amul.

Sri Lanka will kick off the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 World Cup campaign on June 3, 2024, facing South Africa in New York.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in the West Indies and USA from June 1 to 29th.

Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers And Riders (SLARDAR) has decided not to participate in any future competition organized by the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), reports say.

The decision follows the SLAS’ failure to back the racing drivers at the tragic Fox Hill Supercross accident last month.

The crash occurred shortly after another car overturned on the track, leading to another car veering off and hitting spectators along the unguarded trackside. The incident led to the deaths of 07 persons while injuring 23 more.

The racing drivers were arrested while being hospitalised and were subsequently produced before courts and remanded.

Lawyers appearing before the drivers had pointed out that provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act or the Criminal Procedure Code do not apply to motor vehicle competitions and when the case was taken up again the Bandarawela Magistrate had warned the Diyatalawa Police over treating the motor race accident as a mere road mishap when preparing the charge sheet. The drivers were subsequently granted bail.

It is reported that the Diyatalawa police had acted in this manner over influence from higher authorities to cover up the mistake of the organizers.

Although the Sri Lanka Army had appointed a 7-member committee to investigate the incident while the SLAS too appointed a three-member independent board of inquiry to investigate the tragedy, the reports are yet to be received.

Sri Lanka overcame a spirited run-chase from United Arab Emirates in their Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier semi-final in Abu Dhabi, to seal their place in the main event in Bangladesh later this year, as well as a place in Tuesday’s final, where they will face fellow qualifiers, Scotland.

After being asked to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a competitive 149 for 6 in an innings that was well anchored by Vishmi Gunaratne, who top-scored with 45 from 44 balls.

Gunaratne added 52 for the first wicket with Chamari Athapaththu, who made a run-a-ball 21, and when she fell at 106 for 3 at the end of the 16th over, the middle order picked up the tempo to add 43 in the final three overs. Nilakshika Silva was stumped off the final ball of the innings after three fours in a 10-ball 18.

In reply, Inoshi Fernando gave Sri Lanka a huge lift by bowling Theertha Satish for a duck at the end of her first over, but UAE were not fazed, least of all Esha Oza, whose 66 from 44 balls included two fours and four sixes, and gave her team real belief that an upset was on the cards.

She was given vital support by Khushi Sharma (22 from 23) and Kavisha Egodage (16 from 20), but after Athapaththu had broken through to end Egodage’s stay, Udeshika Prabodhani bowled Oza in her next over, before the run-out of Heena Hotchandani completed a collapse of 3 for 7 in 12 balls.

Athapaththu added a second wicket to remove Samaira Dharnidharka for 5, and though Vaishnave Mahesh kept UAE fighting to the end with 13 not out from eight balls, the asking rate was already too much.

(espncricinfo.com)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by espncricinfo.com has not been edited by SLM staff)