Sri Lankan cricketer, Niroshan Dickwella has found himself under a lot of trouble after the decision by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board to suspend the batter from all forms of cricket.
The decision comes in after the batter was found guilty of violating the anti-doping rules during the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL).
Dickwella will be facing an indefinite ban, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced.
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What happened to Dickwella?
Dickwella captained the Galle Marvels side during the LPL, leading them to a finish at the top of the table at the end of the group phase. He further led the team to the final. However, Marvels lost the final to Jaffna Kings though they defeated them in Qualifier 1.
Dickwella wasn’t in the best of form throughout the season with an average of below 20 in 10 games and just a solitary half-century across the tournament.
The 31-year-old Kandy-born cricketer has been accused of violating the anti-doping guidelines for recreational purposes and not for performance enhancement. The SLC have stated that the ban will be in place effective immediately, barring Dickwella from playing any form of professional cricket.
The news that the player had been using substances for recreational purposes is even more surprising.
This is a huge setback for the cricketer who had been aiming to get a place back in the Sri Lankan side after last playing for them in November 2023.
When was Dickwella found guilty?
The test on Dickwella was conducted by the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024. According to Sri Lanka Cricket, the tests were conducted in order to maintain the integrity of the sport.
This initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines, is aimed at ensuring that cricket remains free from the influence of prohibited substances.
Since the batter has now failed to pass the doping tests conducted by SLC, he will be indefinitely banned from all forms of cricket until further notice.
Niroshan Dickwella’s international career
Dickwella has featured in over 50 Test and 50 ODI matches for the Sri Lankan side. He has also played close to 30 T20I games for Sri Lanka however his last international T20 appearance came way back in 2021 against Bangladesh.
He was not selected for Sri Lanka's recent three-match ODI and T20I series against India at home. Sri Lanka lost the T20I series but managed a comprehensive 2-0 victory in the ODI series after a draw in the first game.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | HS | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 54 | 96 | 2757 | 30.97 | 96 | 66.46 |
| ODIs | 55 | 52 | 1604 | 31.45 | 116 | 93.41 |
| T20Is | 28 | 27 | 480 | 18.46 | 68 | 131.14 |
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