**Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage Loses Father During Asia Cup Match**
*By Rajdeep Saha | September 19, 2025, 02:25 AM*
Sri Lankan all-rounder Dunith Wellalage endured a heartbreaking personal loss on Thursday, September 18, when his father, Suranga Wellalage, passed away due to a heart attack. The tragic news reached Dunith while he was representing Sri Lanka in their Asia Cup 2025 group-stage match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Dunith was informed about his father’s demise only after the match, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets with eight balls to spare.
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**Confirmation and Reactions**
Former cricketer and broadcaster Russell Arnold confirmed the sad news on-air following Sri Lanka’s victory over Afghanistan. Sri Lankan media reports revealed that Dunith was notified about the passing shortly after the team successfully chased down a target of 170 runs.
A poignant moment was captured by journalist Damith Weerasinghe, who shared a photo showing the Sri Lankan team manager comforting a visibly shaken Dunith, putting an arm around him.
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**Remembering Suranga Wellalage**
Suranga Wellalage’s passing casts a somber shadow over Dunith’s ongoing participation in the Asia Cup. Russell Arnold fondly remembered Suranga as a talented cricketer, highlighting his role as captain of Prince of Wales College — one of Sri Lanka’s premier school teams — during Arnold’s own captaincy tenure at St. Peter’s College.
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**Impact on Asia Cup Participation**
The loss inevitably raises questions about Dunith’s involvement in Sri Lanka’s remaining Asia Cup matches. Sri Lanka is scheduled to face Bangladesh on September 20, Pakistan on September 23, and India on September 26.
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**Dunith Wellalage’s International Career**
Thursday’s match against Afghanistan marked only Dunith’s fifth T20 International and his first outing in the Asia Cup 2025 tournament. He currently holds 7 T20I wickets at an average of 20.00.
In One Day Internationals (ODIs), Dunith has featured in 31 matches. His standout performance includes best bowling figures of 5/27 during the third ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024. He has claimed 39 ODI wickets at an average of 29.10 overall. Notably, during the 2023 Asia Cup (ODI format), he took five wickets for 40 runs against India. Dunith has also played in one Test match, though he did not take any wickets in that format.
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**Performance Against Afghanistan**
In the match versus Afghanistan, Dunith conceded 32 runs in the 20th over. Afghanistan’s innings was struggling at 114/7 by the 17th over following the dismissal of Rashid Khan for 24 runs. They moved to 137/7 in the 19th over.
However, Afghan batsman Mohammad Nabi launched an onslaught in the final over, hitting five sixes off Wellalage’s bowling. The final over yielded a massive 32 runs, which included a no-ball and a single on the last delivery, bringing Afghanistan’s total to 169/8.
Despite the expensive final over, Dunith delivered a generally steady bowling performance, finishing with figures of 1/49 from his 4 overs.
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Sri Lanka’s journey in the Asia Cup continues amid emotional challenges for Dunith Wellalage. Fans and teammates alike are hopeful for his strength and success in the upcoming matches.
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