Shocking: Former Sri Lankan U19 captain Dhammika Niroshana shot dead at home

Sri Lanka’s former U19 captain Dhammika Niroshana shot dead in front of his wife and kids.

The former U-19 captain of the Sri Lankan team, Dhammika Niroshana, was reportedly shot on July 16 at his residence in Ambalangoda, Galle district. As per the local police, the 41-year-old was with his wife and two children at his home when an armed, unidentified person opened fire at him. The local police has launched an investigation into the incident.

Former U-19 Cricketer Dhammika Niroshan, also known as 'Jonty' (41) shot dead in front of his residence in the area of Kandewatte in Ambalangoda last night says Police Media Spokesperson #LKA pic.twitter.com/agNmrhXa6u

— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 (@SriLankaTweet) July 17, 2024

Notably, the identity of the accused and the matter behind the incident are unknown until now. The local police are active in search of the culprit and are taking help from law enforcement agencies. The Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) informed the public about the tragic incident with a tweet. They tweeted, “Former U-19 cricketer Dhammika Niroshan, also known as ‘Jonty’ (41) shot dead in front of his residence in the area of Kandewatte in Ambalangoda last night, says Police Media Spokesperson.”

Former Sri Lankan U19 captain Dhammika Niroshana shot dead at home

Dhammika Niroshana was a right-arm fast bowler who could also bat well down the order. He was regarded as a possible rising prospect throughout his career.

From 2001 to 2004, he featured in 12 First-Class games and eight List-A matches for the Galle Cricket Club and scored over 300 runs and took 19 wickets with the ball. He played his first game for Sri Lanka’s U-19 team in 2000 and spent two years playing U-19 Tests and ODIs.

He also captained the Sri Lankan U-19 team in 10 games. He was the captain of the U-19 team which had some big names like Farveez Maharoof, Angelo Mathews and Upul Tharanga.

These stars went on to represent their national side at the highest level. However, Niroshana couldn’t make it big in his cricket career. His final match at the competitive level was in December 2004.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka are scheduled to host India for three T20Is and as many ODIs, starting on July 27. Currently, the fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League is underway in the island nation and all the domestic stars are busy playing in the league. However, this incident has certainly shocked everyone and cricket fans are in disbelief.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket for IPL 2024 Live Score & IPL Points Table,  on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.