Following the unexpected loss of his father, Suranga Wellalage, Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage will return to the national squad on Saturday morning, just in time for their first Super Four match against Bangladesh in Dubai. The 22-year-old returned home on Thursday night after learning of his father’s death, but he is now expected to be ready for selection when Sri Lanka begins the next part of their Asia Cup 2025 campaign.
The awful news broke on September 18, the same day Sri Lanka faced Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Wellalage played his first match of the competition, surrendering 49 runs in four overs and taking Ibrahim Zadran‘s wicket. Sri Lanka won by six wickets and qualified for the Super Four.
However, the team did not rejoice when Dunith Wellalage learnt after the match that his father had died of a heart attack in Colombo.
He flew home, accompanied by team manager Mahinda Halangode, to see his family.
Despite his difficult evening on the field against Afghanistan, Wellalage has already made headlines in his short international career. He has played 31 ODIs, including two memorable five-wicket hauls against India, one during the 2023 Asia Cup. He finished that tournament as the joint second-highest wicket-taker. In ODIs, he has 39 wickets and 386 runs to his name, while in T20Is, he has picked up seven wickets from five games.
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