By Ishani Upatharitha

* Hasaranga and Chameera could miss IPL playoffs

[caption id="attachment_158024" align="alignnone" width="355"] Photo: Twitter[/caption]

Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera were cleared by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) yesterday (29) to play out for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. But, reportedly, the permission is only till 9 October. If RCB is to reach the play-off stages of the IPL competition, the Sri Lanka duo will not be able to be available for it, unless an extension is arranged.

The two will be able to join the RCB camp in the UAE on 15 September 15. That will be a day after Sri Lanka’s home white-ball series against South Africa gets over.

SLC had asked the two key national players to join the Sri Lanka team on 10 October for their warm-up games in the lead-up to the men’s T20 World Cup qualifying round, starting on 17 October in UAE and Oman.

* Oshini enters U-10 Online FIDE Youth Chess World Cup 2021 Finals

[caption id="attachment_158025" align="alignnone" width="275"] Oshini Gunawardena, 9, is a student of Ferguson High School, Ratnapura[/caption]

Nine-year-old Oshini Devindya Gunawardena, a student of Ferguson High School, Ratnapura, reached the Finals of the FIDE Online Youth Chess World Cup after a nail-biting finish at her tie-breaker Armageddon game yesterday.

Oshini (world rank 1,373) played strong chess in her first game of the semi-final round against Russia’s Diana Preobrazhenskaya (1,697) to win the game convincingly by sacrificing her Queen to get a check-mate.

The World Championship Final is scheduled to be held today (30).

* Officials appointed for South Africa series

The following officials have been appointed by SLC to officiate the ODI and T20I series between Sri Lanka and South Africa that starts on Thursday (2).

Match Referee will be Ranjan Madugalle, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Elite Panel and Chief Referee.

The officiating umpires will be Kumar Dharmasena who is an ICC Elite Panel umpire, along with four ICC International Panel umpires Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Raveendra Wimalasiri, Lyndon Hannibal, and Prageeth Rambukwella.

The ODI leg of the series will be held on 2, 4, and 7 September before the three-match T20I series. The T20Is are scheduled for 10, 12, and 14 September.

All matches are to be held behind closed doors at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo under lights.