Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage's father dies

Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage's father, Suranga Wellalage, has died on Thursday, September 18, the same day that Dunith played in the Asia Cup Group B match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.

Wellalage, 22, only learned of his father's death after the match, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets and eight balls remaining to qualify for the Super Four round of the tournament. Soon after the match ended, he left for home.

This bereavement casts doubt over Wellalage's further involvement in the Asia Cup, in which Sri Lanka have at least three more matches to play: against Bangladesh on September 20, Pakistan on September 23, and against India on September 26.

Thursday's Asia Cup match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was only Wellalage's fifth T20I and his first in this tournament. He has played 31 ODIs, with his career best of 5 for 27 coming in the third ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024. He also took 5 for 40 against India in a 2023 Asia Cup match, when the tournament was played in the ODI format. He was the equal-second wicket-taker in that tournament, claiming 10 dismissals at an average of 17.90.