Sri Lanka has been hit hard by injuries recently. Following Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka is now ruled out of the ODI series against India. Eshan Malinga has been called up to replace Madushanka, adding to Sri Lanka’s woes as frontline pacers Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara are also out.
Initially, Mohamed Shiraz was brought in as cover for Pathirana. It has now been confirmed that both Pathirana and Madushanka are completely ruled out. Shiraz recently took six wickets in a List A match. Ehsan Malinga, who comes in with a five-wicket haul, is also in form. However, both lack international experience. This absence of seasoned players will be a significant challenge for Sri Lanka as they face a strong Indian team.
In addition to the squad changes, Kusal Janith, Pramod Madushan, and Jeffrey Vandersay have been named as standbys. The team will see a new captain, Charith Asalanka, taking over from Kusal Mendis. Mendis led during the World Cup 2023. Sri Lanka hopes Asalanka can lead them to victories. They couldn’t achieve this in the recent T20I series.
The ODI series against India will begin on August 2, with all three matches scheduled to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka will be looking for a fresh start and hoping to overcome the challenge posed by their injuries.
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