Kandy cricket team
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox cricket team
| name = Kandy
| league = National Super League
| captain = Pathum Nissanka
| coach =
| city = Kandy
| colours =
| founded = 2017
| dissolved =
| ground = Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
| first_fc = Dambulla
| first_fc_year = 2018
| first_fc_venue = Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Ground
| title1 = NSL 4-Day
| title1wins = 1
| title2 = NSL Limited Over
| title2wins = 0
}}
The Kandy cricket team is a cricket team that plays first-class and List A cricket in the Sri Lankan inter-provincial competitions.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Sri Lanka Cricket to Launch the National Super League |url=https://srilankacricket.lk/2022/01/sri-lanka-cricket-to-launch-the-national-super-league/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Sri Lanka Cricket |language=en-US}} Though it is a district cricket team, it has no geographical base, rather 5 of the 26 clubs are clustered under this team.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-11 |title=‘NSL is the feeder for national representation’ |url=https://themorning.lk//articles/ituc0Yzo3J39FC9gEvp6 |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=The Morning}} The team takes part in the National Super League 4-Day Tournament and the National Super League Limited Over Tournament.{{Cite web |date= |title=SLC to launch National Super League : L/O squads announced |url=https://www.newswire.lk/2022/01/19/slc-to-launch-national-super-league-l-o-squads-announced/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=NewsWire |language=en-US}} Pathum Nissanka is the current captain of the team for the 2024 season.
Background
The team is made up of the top performers of the Major League Tournament and the Premier Limited Overs Tournament.{{Cite web |title=New criteria for national selection – performances in National Super League |url=https://www.ft.lk/sports/New-criteria-for-national-selection-performances-in-National-Super-League/23-729368 |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Daily FT |language=English}} Previously, the team used to take part in the inter-provincial tournaments till 2019. The team was formed in March 2017, when the Sri Lanka Cricket launched the Super Four Provincial Tournament for both longer version and limited overs cricket and announced Kandy as one of the teams.{{cite news |date=14 March 2017 |title=SLC Districts One Day Tournament to kick off tomorrow |url=http://www.thepapare.com/slc-districts-one-day-tournament-kick-off-tomorrow/ |access-date=3 April 2017 |publisher=The Papare}}{{cite news |date=21 November 2017 |title=Cricket: Premier League to begin from December 1 |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1035181/cricket-premier-league-to-begin-from-december-1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033755/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1035181/cricket-premier-league-to-begin-from-december-1 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |access-date=23 November 2017 |publisher=Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)}}
The inaugural List A match played by Kandy was held on 15 March 2017 during the 2016–17 Districts One Day Tournament.{{Cite web |title=List A matches played by Kandy |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/41/41634/List_A_Matches.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=CricketArchive}} The team competed in a first-class match for the first time on 30 March 2018, against Dambulla in the 2017–18 Super Four Provincial Tournament.{{Cite web |title=First-class matches played by Kandy |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/41/41634/First-Class_Matches.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=CricketArchive}} The first Twenty20 match was played by the team on 21 August 2018, against Dambulla in the 2018 SLC T20 League.{{Cite web |title=Twenty20 Matches played by Kandy |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/41/41634/Twenty20_Matches.html |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=CricketArchive}}
In January 2022, the SLC announced the addition of National Super League for both four-day and one-day cricket to its domestic structure, marking the return of Kandy in domestic cricket.{{Cite web |title=Sri Lanka Cricket to Launch the National Super League |url=https://srilankacricket.lk/2022/01/sri-lanka-cricket-to-launch-the-national-super-league/ |access-date=10 February 2022 |work=Sri Lanka Cricket}} Kandy were crowned as the champions of the inaugural season of NSL 4-Day after the final match against Jaffna was drawn and Kandy won on first innings total.{{Cite web |last=Ratnaweera |first=Dhammika |title=Kandy emerge champions at NSL 4 day Cricket |url=https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2022/04/11/sports/276879/kandy-emerge-champions-nsl-4-day-cricket |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=Daily News |language=en}}
Formation
The team is formed of the following clubs:
Current squad
The following squad was announced for the 2024 National Super League 4-Day Tournament.{{Cite web |last=Sanjeewa |first=Kanishka |date=2024-01-16 |title=Fixtures and Squads announced for NSL 4-Day Tournament 2024 |url=https://www.thepapare.com/fixtures-squads-national-super-league-4-day-tournament-2024/ |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=ThePapare |language=en-US}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Player name !Club |
| Pathum Nissanka (c) |
| Sahan Arachchige (vc) |
| Sithum Disanayaka |
| Nimasra Attaragalla |
| Sithara Gimhan |
| Pawantha Weerasinghe |
| Gihan Rathnayake |
| Sakuna Liyanage |
| Wanuja Sahan |
| Roshan Jayatissa |
| Kasun Adhikari |
| Lasith Lakshan |
| Nipun Premaratna |
| Raveen Yasas |
| Sahan Kosala |
| Lahiru Udara |
| Ahan Wickramasinghe |
| Kamil Mishara |
| Kaveen Bandara |
| Niroshan Dickwella |
| Chamika Karunaratne |
| Chamika Gunasekara |
| Lahiru Kumara |
| Ashian Daniel |
| Lasith Embuldeniya |
| Nipun Ransika |
Seasons
=Super Four Provincial Tournament=
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Season ! colspan="7" scope="col" |League standings | rowspan="2" |Ref |
| scope="col" |P
! scope="col" |W ! scope="col" |L ! scope="col" |D ! scope="col" |A ! scope="col" |Pts ! scope="col" |Pos |
|---|
| scope="row" |2017–18
|3 |0 |0 |3 |0 |22.55 |3rd |
= National Super League 4-Day =
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Season ! colspan="7" scope="col" |League standings ! rowspan="2" |Notes | rowspan="2" |Ref |
| scope="col" |P
! scope="col" |W ! scope="col" |L ! scope="col" |D ! scope="col" |A ! scope="col" |Pts ! scope="col" |Pos |
|---|
| scope="row" |2021–22
|4 |0 |1 |3 |0 |56.51 |2nd | style="background: gold;" |Champions |
| scope="row" |2022–23
|4 |1 |2 |0 |1 |27.775 |4th | |
| scope="row" |2024
|8 |3 |3 |2 |0 |92.585 |2nd | |
= National Super League Limited Over Tournament =
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Season ! colspan="7" scope="col" |League standings ! rowspan="2" |Notes | rowspan="2" |Ref |
| scope="col" |P
! scope="col" |W ! scope="col" |L !T ! scope="col" |A ! scope="col" |Pts ! scope="col" |Pos |
|---|
| scope="row" |2021–22
|8 |6 |1 |0 |1 |30 |1st | |
| scope="row" |2022–23
|8 |2 |5 |0 |1 |11 |4th | |
| scope="row" |2023–24
|4 |2 |2 |0 |0 |6 |2nd | |
Honours
- National Super League 4-Day Tournament:
- Winners (1): 2021–22