Sri Lanka’s young all-rounder Dunith Wellalage returned home this morning following the sudden passing of his father, Suranga Wellalage, in Colombo. He was accompanied by team manager Mahinda Halangoda.
The tragic news reached Wellalage inside the dressing room in Abu Dhabi soon after Sri Lanka’s group-stage match on Thursday night. Team officials had initially informed him of a medical emergency at home, before later confirming his father’s passing.
Head Coach Sanath Jayasuriya was visibly emotional upon receiving the news and later spent time consoling the grieving cricketer. Wellalage returned to the team hotel shortly after and boarded an early morning flight to Colombo to be with his family.
Sri Lanka’s players, who had just secured an important victory to top their group, were left stunned and subdued, departing the stadium in silence instead of celebration.
With a crucial Super Four fixture against Bangladesh scheduled for Friday in Dubai, team management now faces the challenge of lifting the squad’s morale while extending full support to Wellalage and his family during this difficult time.
