In what came as another disastrous news for Sri Lanka cricket and its fans, right-arm pacer Lahiru Kumara was on October 29 (Sunday) ruled out from the ongoing ODI World Cup with an injury. Kumara, who bowled brilliantly against England in Sri Lanka's previous game, sustained a left thigh injury while training in Pune for the upcoming match against Afghanistan. With Kumara being ruled out, experienced pacer Dushmantha Chameera has been included in Sri Lanka's main squad.
Kumara played a pivotal role in their recent eight-wicket victory over England in the World Cup. Kumara's exceptional performance included taking crucial wickets, such as England's captain Jos Buttler, along with all-rounders Ben Stokes and Liam Livingstone. Despite only participating in four matches at the tournament, Kumara has already secured five wickets for his team.
However, Sri Lanka has faced setbacks due to injuries during the tournament. Dasun Shanaka, the team's captain, and Matheesha Pathirana both had to withdraw from the squad due to injuries, leading to the inclusion of Chamika Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews. Now, with Kumara also facing injury issues, Sri Lanka has added Dushmantha Chameera to their 15-player squad.
Chameera, a seasoned Sri Lankan player with over 100 appearances for his country, will be expected to fill the void left by Kumara's absence. Sri Lanka is currently positioned in fifth place on the World Cup standings, having secured two wins in five matches. As they approach the remaining group matches, the team will rely on the combined efforts of their talented squad to continue their campaign successfully.
Sri Lanka squad: Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Angelo Mathews, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne.
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