Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage Discovers His Father's Demise Following SL vs AFG Encounter in the 2025 Asia Cup
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Sri Lanka's young cricketer Dunith Wellalage received the devastating news of his father Suranga's passing during the team's match against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup 2025. Suranga, a former cricket captain of Prince of Wales College, passed away from a heart attack on September 18, 2025.
The news was delivered to Dunith after Sri Lanka secured a six-wicket victory against Afghanistan in Match 11. Russell Arnold, a fellow cricket veteran and former captain of St. Peter's College, confirmed Suranga's death on air during the same match.
Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis were the key contributors in the winning effort, scoring an unbeaten 74 off 52 balls and an unbeaten 26 runs from 13 deliveries respectively. Dunith, who has played only one match in this Asia Cup so far, contributed with bowling figures of 1 for 49 from four overs.
The focus is now on whether Wellalage will participate in Sri Lanka's next game against Bangladesh on Saturday. His participation in the team's next three Super Four matches is uncertain, as the team's unity is hoped to help them advance to the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025.
In the ODI format, Wellalage has recorded two five-wicket hauls against India. In the 2023 Asia Cup, he took 10 wickets at an average of 17.90. Notably, Pathirana took impressive figures of 4 for 18 in the match against Afghanistan.
The team's victory celebrations may be muted due to the personal tragedy faced by Dunith Wellalage. The news has cast a sombre mood over the Sri Lankan cricket team, and the cricket community extends its deepest condolences to the Wellalage family.
As the cricket world comes together to support the Wellalage family, the focus remains on the resilience and determination of the Sri Lankan team as they move forward in the Asia Cup 2025.
