New Delhi [India] March 11 (ANI): Former Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga has expressed his views on the International Masters League 2025. He has shared his experience of playing in the IML so far, feeling it is a great moment playing with former teammates with whom he has played before.

Upul Tharanga represents Sri Lanka Masters in the ongoing International Masters League 2025. He has scored 142 runs in four innings, with a best of 102. He has also caught the powerplay well with his former teammate, Kumar Sangakkara scoring quick runs at the top.

'I think it has been a great experience, playing alongside players who were with us 10-15 years ago. It feels like sharing a dressing room with old teammates again while competing against other teams. Legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and many others are here. I am really glad to be part of this tournament,' he said.

He has also shared his delight in playing against Kumar Sangakkara again. He admired Sangakkara and called him a role model for them. He believes he still inspires them, and Sangakkara aims to win every match for the Sri Lanka Masters. Therefore, this is not merely an enjoyable tournament--it has evolved into extremely competitive cricket.

'He has always been a role model for all of us, even during our playing days. He continues to inspire even now. If you look at his wicketkeeping, it's amazing. In the last game, we saw him jumping around, saving runs for the team--he has been fantastic. When we first arrived, some of us thought this tournament would be more about fun cricket, but that's not the case anymore. If you look at the scores, teams are posting totals above 250 in T20 games. Even Sangakkara wants to win every game for Sri Lanka Masters. So, this isn't a fun tournament--it has turned into highly competitive cricket,' he said

He also spoke about his experience playing in India again. He praised Indian wickets and felt the conditions for batting were excellent.

'The wickets here are excellent. You don't get pitches like these. The ball comes on nicely to the bat, and it is tough for the bowlers. As a batsman, I can say the conditions have been fantastic.'

Upul Tharanga also spoke about playing against Sachin Tendulkar, that he admired the way Sachin used to play and still plays and felt it was an excellent opportunity to do so.

'Even back in the day when we played against India, everything revolved around Sachin. And here again, in the first game between Sri Lanka Masters and India Masters, the way he played that cover drive in the very first over--he has been a part of cricket forever. It's an excellent opportunity for me to play against him again and witness his batting. When you play in Mumbai or Baroda, you see how people still come in huge numbers just to watch him. Everyone is lucky to see him on the field again,' he said.

Sri Lanka Masters is currently on top of the table with four wins out of five matches. They only lost their first match against The India Masters. Kumar Sangakkara is the top scorer for Sri Lanka Masters, and Isuru Udana is the highest wicket-taker. (ANI)