Sri Lanka all-rounder Dunith Wellalage will link up with the Asia Cup squad in Dubai on Saturday morning, only two days after returning home following the death of his father, Suranga. In a brief statement, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed: “He will be available for selection for Sri Lanka’s first match in the Super Four round on Saturday evening, against Bangladesh in Dubai.”
Team manager Mahinda Halangode accompanied the 22-year-old during the round trip to Colombo, helping to smooth logistics and provide support. “Player welfare comes first,” Halangode said before boarding the flight back. “Dunith wanted to honour his father’s memory by re-joining the team as quickly as possible.”
Suranga Wellalage passed away on 18 September, the same day his son completed Sri Lanka’s six-wicket win over Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Dunith only learned the news after leaving the field. The match, his fifth Twenty20 international and first of this tournament, brought figures of 1 for 49 from four overs; he was not required with the bat.
Wellalage’s short international career already contains several high-points. In 31 One-Day Internationals he has claimed 44 wickets, including a career-best 5 for 27 against India in Colombo last August. A year earlier he took 5 for 40 versus the same opponents in the ODI-format Asia Cup, finishing joint-second on the wicket list with an average of 17.90. “He strikes me as a bowler who loves the big occasion,” former Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath said this week. “Handling personal loss and still focusing on cricket will test him, but it can also build character.”
Sri Lanka face Bangladesh first up in the Super Four, before meetings with Pakistan on 23 September and India on 26 September. Head coach Chris Silverwood is expected to assess Wellalage’s readiness during Saturday’s training session. “We’ll sit down with him, see how he feels, then make a call,” Silverwood noted. “There’s no pressure—his well-being is paramount.”
Even so, the left-arm spinner’s return provides welcome depth. On sluggish UAE pitches, his ability to turn the ball and contribute lower-order runs may prove decisive.
