Moratuwa Acting Coroner Kavindu Peiris has completed the inquest into the sudden death of Sri Lankan cricketer Dunith Wellalage’s father, Suranga Niroshan Wellalage, and posted a social media note with the consent of Dunith, his mother, and younger brother.

Peiris stated that he was informed of the incident early this morning by Constable Wijesinghe of the Moratuwa Police, who notified him that the body of Dunith’s father had been placed at the Panadura Hospital morgue.

When the coroner arrived at the hospital, Dunith was already present. “He told me that after his match ended last night, he was informed of his father’s death. He said he felt as if his entire world had collapsed and his strength was gone,” Peiris said.

Following the request of Dunith and his family, the body was referred for a post-mortem examination. Judicial Medical Officer Muditha Kudagama conducted the examination and confirmed that death was caused by a heart attack resulting from long-term heart disease and high blood pressure.

Statements were recorded from Dunith, his mother, younger brother, and the sister of the deceased. According to the family, at around 9:45 p.m. last night, while watching Sri Lanka’s cricket match, Suranga suddenly felt faint as he went to get a drink of water. His wife and younger son caught him, and with the help of neighbours, they rushed him to the Panadura Base Hospital in their car. Doctors declared that he had passed away before arrival.

Peiris noted that the most emotional moment was when Dunith’s eyes filled with tears as he described his father’s lifelong dedication.

“The late Suranga Wellalage was a man who made immense sacrifices for his son. He ran a small shop in Jubilee, Moratuwa, and even gave up several businesses so that Dunith could focus on cricket. He woke up at 5 a.m. daily to take his son to practice and waited until he returned home. Today, Dunith has made his father’s dream a reality, and he was very proud of that,” Peiris said.

He added that Dunith’s mother encouraged him to stay strong and view the body after the post-mortem.

In a personal note, Peiris wrote:

“Dunith has already fulfilled his father’s dream, and he has more dreams to chase. From my conversation with him, I felt he has the strength to face this loss, even as a young man of just 22. I truly believe he will go on to conquer the world. During the few hours I spent with him, we all clearly saw his humility, honesty, and noble character. His parents deserve immense respect for raising such a child.”

(Post by Moratuwa Coroner Kavindu Peiris, 19 September 2025, 12:15 p.m. from Panadura Base Hospital.)