Aiming for glory and driving on the fast lane
Compiled by Allaam Ousman
LPL CHAMPIONS B-Love Kandy ended the reign of Jaffna Kings to win the Lanka Premier League (LPL) title for the first time, defeating Dambulla Aura by five wickets in the final at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on 20 August. The newly formed franchise had the backing of former international stars like Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Mohammad Azharuddin. Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ while Kandy skipper Wanindu Hasaranga was the ‘Player of the Tournament.’ Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) donated Rs. 100 million of the LPL proceeds to the Little Hearts Project of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH).
ASIA CUP Reigning champions Sri Lanka began their 2023 Asia Cup campaign on 31 August against Bangladesh at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. Their other group stage match is on 5 September against Afghanistan in Lahore. Pakistan and India will meet in Sri Lanka on 2 September for their first One-Day International (ODI) clash in four years in Kandy. The six nation Asia Cup tournament commenced on 30 August with four matches to be played in Pakistan and the remaining nine in Sri Lanka. Colombo will host five Super Four stage games, as well as the final on 19 September. Pakistan, India and Nepal contest in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in Group B.
RUGBY WORLD CUP The Rugby World Cup (RWC) begins on 8 September with France taking on New Zealand. Defending champions South Africa will be among the favourites this time around too. As ever, the All Blacks will be the team to beat while France and Six Nations Grand Slam winners Ireland will spearhead the European challenge. The 2023 RWC will be played in nine cities across France. The final on 8 October will be played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. The 20 teams were drawn into four pools of five nations and the top two in each will advance to the knockout rounds.
HANGZHOU ASIAN GAMES Sri Lanka will field a 153 strong contingent for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, from 23 September to 8 October. Track stars Nadeesha Ramanayake and Tharushi Karunarathna, who won Gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships in Thailand, will lead the charge. But all eyes will be on Asia’s fastest man Yupun Abeykoon to break Sri Lanka’s medals drought in athletics since the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. Abeykoon has a personal best of 9.96 seconds but the 2022 Commonwealth Games Bronze medallist has been nursing an injury this season, skipping the Asian and World Athletics Championships to focus on the Asian Games. The island nation will participate in 20 sports. Sri Lanka failed to win a medal at the 2018 games in Jakarta and Palembang.
SOLHEIM CUP Team Europe will be chasing a third consecutive Solheim Cup victory for the first time in the tournament’s history when they host the event in Spain’s Finca Cortesin from 22 to 24 September. Captain Suzann Pettersen is confident of success given the pedigree of players she has to pick from – especially the younger golfers like Swedes Maja Stark and Linn Grant. Standing in Europe’s way is a US team captained by Stacy Lewis.
RYDER CUP The 44th Ryder Cup between the US and Europe takes place between 29 September and 1 October at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome. The Americans are the holders of the Ryder Cup following a record 19-9 victory in Wisconsin in 2021. Captain Zach Johnson will announce his six picks after the Tour Championship while European qualification concludes on 3 September at the conclusion of European Masters at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in Switzerland. As with the US, the top six European players in the standings will qualify and Captain Luke Donald has six picks.
CRICKET WORLD CUP Cricket’s biggest event, the 50 over ODI Cricket World Cup, will kick off on 5 October at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in a repeat of the 2019 Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand. A total of 48 matches will be played over the course of 46 days across 10 cities in India. Ahmedabad will host the final on 19 November. Sri Lanka will face South Africa on 7 October in Delhi and Pakistan on 13 October in Hyderabad. Following back-to-back matches in Lucknow – against Australia on 16 October and the Netherlands on 21 October – they will face hosts India on 2 November in Mumbai.
FORMULA ONE The Formula 1 (F1) season concludes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 at the Yas Marina Circuit on 26 November. Following the summer break, the F1 season continues with races in Monza (3 September), Singapore (17 September), Suzuka (24 September), Qatar (8 October), Austin, Texas (22 October), Mexico City (29 October), São Paulo (5 November) and Las Vegas (18 November).