Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella cleared to play international cricket after getting banned for doping violations

Niroshan Dickwella has played 137 international matches for Sri Lanka so far.

Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella, who was handed a three year suspension in August 2024 by the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA), has been cleared to return to international cricket. The 31-year-old southpaw was banned after testing positive for a prohibited substance during a random anti-doping test.

Dickwella last played for Sri Lanka in March 2023 during the first test of the series against New Zealand. His dip in form in 2023 led to his exclusion from the national team. The southpaw earned a call-up for the T20I series against Bangladesh in March 2024, but did not get an opportunity to feature in the playing XI.

Niroshan Dickwella cleared to play international cricket after doping violation ban

Dickwella’s three-year ban has been lifted following a successful appeal. The wicket-keeper presented substantial evidence proving that the prohibited substance detected was not consumed during the competitive tournaments and hence did not contribute to performance enhancement.

SLADA has accepted his appeal and has cleared him to play all formats of cricket with immediate effect.

Dickwella has been one of the key players for Sri Lanka, featuring in 137 international matches across formats, including 54 tests, 55 ODIs, and 28 T20Is. A key player in Sri Lanka’s top order, he has an impressive batting average of over 30 in both tests and ODIs, with a strike rate of 66 in tests and 93 in ODIs.

This decision marks a fresh start for Dickwella. However, his return to the national team won’t be easy given Sri Lankan team’s form in the recent past barring the South Africa tests.

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