HASARANGA’S IPL CONUNDRUM

Sri Lanka’s best bowler demoralised, disheartened, and undermined before World Cup?

# Will Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva’s performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 have repercussions on Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign next month?

# His IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) played two of its seven remaining matches of the UAE leg of IPL 2021 (they lost both)

# Hasaranga was played in both those matches

# He scored one run in two innings (being remained not out once)

# With his leg-breaks, Hasaranga bowled 36 balls, gave away 60 runs, and took no wickets

# His bowling figures in the two matches were 2-0-20-0 and 4-0-40-0 (economy rate 10)

# Hasaranga’s RCB team-mates Glenn Maxwell and Dan Christian are named in the Australia squad for the T20 World Cup next month (Christian named as injury cover)

# RCB’s Kyle Jamieson is named in the New Zealand team for the World Cup

# His RCB Captain Virat Kohli is, of course, the India Captain too for the World Cup

# The World Cup starts in UAE and Oman, two days after the IPL

# Giving priority to national duty, Australia did not send Adam Zampa (RCB, replaced by Hasaranga), Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders), and Daniel Sams (RCB, later named as injury cover in Australia squad) for the IPL UAE leg. England squad’s Jos Butler (Rajasthan Royals) and Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad) too didn’t come to UAE

# RCB’s last two of the remaining five matches are to be played on 6 and 8 October

# Sri Lanka are to play two practice matches for the World Cup against Oman on 7 and 9 October

# Then Sri Lanka are to play their two official World Cup warm-up matches on 12 (against Bangladesh) and 14 (Papua New Guinea) October

# The IPL final will be held on 15 October, two days before the start of the World Cup

# Sri Lanka are to play their three World Cup First Round matches on 18 (Namibia), 20 (Ireland), and 22 (Netherlands) October

# The Super 12 stage of the World Cup will begin on 23 October

# Sri Lanka are to meet Australia (featuring Maxwell and, sometimes, Christian) in Super 12 stage, if they top their Group in the World Cup First Round

# If they end up second in the Group Stage to qualify for the Super 12, then they will meet both New Zealand (Jamieson) and India (Kohli) in the Super 12s

# Aren't the debate of 'Money vs. Spirit' and 'Franchise Cricket vs. National Cricket' still valid in a very decisive manner?

# This whole ‘confusion’ is ‘simply’ because the Indian whiskey and rum company Diageo India Pvt. Ltd., the present owners of RCB, paid Hasaranga SL Rs. 140 lakhs ($ 70,000) and ‘bought’ him for about 10 T20 matches of the season