In the Lanka Premier League 2023 match on July 31 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Dambulla Aura faced off against Galle Titans, led by Dasun Shanaka. An intriguing moment occurred during the clash when the game had to be halted temporarily due to the unexpected presence of a snake on the ground.
Subsequently, the fourth umpire took prompt action and safely escorted the snake off the ground, allowing the game to resume. Shortly after, the video of this peculiar incident spread rapidly across various social media platforms, going viral.
After witnessing the incident, Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik joined in on the fun and shared a light-hearted tweet. Playfully alluding to the infamous ‘nagin dance’ incident involving the Bangladesh cricket team during the Nidahas Trophy in 2018, Karthik wrote, “The naagin is back, I thought it was in Bangladesh.” The tweet quickly gained attention and amusement on social media.
In the game, Dambulla Aura skipper Kusal Mendis won the toss and chose to field first on a batting-friendly wicket at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Galle Titans’ opener Shevon Daniel got them off to a solid start, scoring 33 runs off just 26 deliveries.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa played an impressive innings of 48 runs off 34 balls, including 5 fours and 2 sixes. Skipper Dasun Shanaka provided a powerful finish with an unbeaten 42 runs in just 21 deliveries, smashing 4 sixes.
Pacer Shahnawaz Dahani took 2 crucial wickets for Dambulla Aura, while Binura Fernando and Dhananjaya de Silva claimed a wicket each, restricting Galle Titans to 180-5.
Chasing the substantial target, Dambulla-based franchise lost both their openers in quick succession. However, Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva built a formidable partnership for the third wicket, giving their innings much-needed momentum.
The naagin is back
— DK (@DineshKarthik) July 31, 2023
I thought it was in Bangladesh 🤣😂🤣😂🤣#naagindance#nidahastrophy https://t.co/hwn6zcOxqy
De Silva scored 43 off 31 balls, while Perera played a quick-fire knock of 40 runs off just 25 deliveries. Alex Ross held the crease until the final delivery, scoring 39 runs, and eventually helped his side level the scores on the last ball of the game.