To bid his father a final farewell, Wellalage flew back to Sri Lanka on Thursday night. He had requested the Sri Lanka Cricket Board’s permission to be with his family during this difficult time, and the board granted his appeal.
Wellalage had replaced Maheesh Theekshana in the playing XI against Afghanistan. However, he struggled with the ball, conceding 17 runs in his first three overs before things completely unraveled in his final over. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi smashed 32 runs off him in that over, which eventually totaled 32 runs.
According to Lankan media outlet Lankasara, Suranga Wellalage, aged 54, was watching the game live. He reportedly suffered chest pains due to stress and was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead.
Suranga himself was a former cricketer and had played a pivotal role in shaping Dunith’s cricketing career. His passing has cast a pall of grief over the cricketing community. Tributes and condolences poured in for Dunith, including messages from former Sri Lankan captain Lasith Malinga, Bangladesh captain Litton Das, Afghan allrounder Nabi and many more.
