Former Chief of Sri Lanka Cricket on multiple occasions and prominent businessman Upali Dharmadasa passed away at the age of 74, leaving behind a reputation built on decency, integrity and a deep affection for the game he served for many years.
Dharmadasa was a leading figure within the Nawaloka Group and played an important role in carrying forward the business legacy established by his late father, Deshamanya H. K. Dharmadasa. His responsibilities extended across several areas of corporate life, but it was cricket administration that brought him most visibly into the public eye.
He served Sri Lanka Cricket during periods when the sport was increasingly influenced by politics, commercial pressures and internal division. Through it all, he remained courteous, measured and dignified. He did not seek attention for its own sake, nor did he appear consumed by position or title
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Whenever we met, Upali would remind me of something he believed with quiet conviction: “Cricket is the noble game.”
It was more than a phrase. It reflected the values he associated with cricket: honour, sportsmanship, fairness and respect. He believed the game was greater than those who temporarily occupied office and that administrators carried a responsibility to protect its character.
Those who knew him will remember an approachable man who treated people with the same courtesy regardless of rank or influence. In a public culture increasingly marked by noise and confrontation, his manner stood apart.
His remains have now returned home with the funeral scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 29 July 2026.
Sri Lanka cricket has lost a former leader, the business community has lost a respected figure and many have lost a gentleman who believed, until the end, that cricket was indeed the noble game.
Be that as it may.
