Dunith Wellalage to Lead Sri Lanka A in Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup

Sri Lanka A, led by Dunith Wellalage, is poised to compete in the Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup in Doha starting November 14. Key players include leg-spinners Viyaskanth and Arachchige, and all-rounders Rathnayake and Mendis. The team will face Afghanistan A in their opening match.

Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder, Dunith Wellalage, has been appointed as the captain of Sri Lanka A for the upcoming Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup in Doha, commencing on November 14. The squad also boasts leg-spinners Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Sahan Arachchige, along with all-rounders Milan Rathnayake and Ramesh Mendis. Top-order batters Nuwanidu Fernando and Nishan Madushka, and seamer Pramod Madushan complete the balanced team lineup.

Despite the majority not securing a consistent place in the senior team, Wellalage, Fernando, and Madushka have been regular figures in Sri Lanka's white-ball matches over recent months. Milan Rathnayake played in the Test series against Bangladesh in June, while Ramesh Mendis participated in a Test against Australia in February. Despite his close proximity to international selection, leg-spinner Viyaskanth faces tough competition from established players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Jeffrey Vandersay.

The tournament will see participating teams divided into two groups. Group A includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka, while Group B features India, Oman, Pakistan, and the UAE. The tournament will kick off with a match between Pakistan A and Oman, while Sri Lanka A's first encounter will be against Afghanistan A on November 15. The squad comprises Dunith Wellalage (captain), Vishen Halambage, Nishan Madushka (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Lasith Croospulle, Ramesh Mendis, Kavindu de Livera, Sahan Arachchige, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Pramod Madushan, Garuka Sanketh, Isitha Wijesundara, Milan Rathnayake, V Viyaskanth, and Traveen Mathew.

(With inputs from agencies.)