It’s unfortunate news for Sri Lanka to miss the services of Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga for the upcoming ODI World Cup. Both players are valuable assets to the team, and their absence will be felt. Here’s a brief summary of the situation:
- Dushmantha Chameera: Chameera, a key fast bowler for Sri Lanka, has been ruled out of the ODI World Cup due to injury. He had been dealing with a torn pectoral muscle and faced repeated injury setbacks, including an ankle injury that kept him out of the T20 World Cup in Australia last year. Despite some optimism, he couldn’t recover in time for the ODI World Cup.
- Wanindu Hasaranga: Hasaranga, an all-rounder known for his contributions with both bat and ball, is also unavailable for the World Cup due to injury. There had been hopes that he might be included in the squad with the possibility of recovering during the tournament’s latter stages. However, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) stated that he’s still in the process of recovery, and his inclusion will depend on his fitness as a replacement in case of injuries to squad members.
Sri Lanka will miss the skills and experience that Chameera and Hasaranga bring to the team, but they will have to rely on other players to step up and fill the void. Dasun Shanaka has been named as the captain for the tournament, and the rest of the squad remains as expected, with a couple of changes in the fast-bowling department. Chamika Karunaratne has been designated as a travelling reserve.
The team will need to regroup and focus on performing well in the World Cup despite these setbacks.
Injuries have been a significant concern for Sri Lanka’s bowling unit, and the team has included several frontline bowlers who are returning from injuries. Here’s an overview of the injury-related concerns within the Sri Lankan squad:
- Maheesh Theekshana: Theekshana is returning from a hamstring injury he suffered during the Asia Cup.
- Dilshan Madushanka: Madushanka has just recovered from a torn oblique muscle.
- Lahiru Kumara: Kumara missed the entire Asia Cup due to a side strain injury, and he has a history of recurring issues with this injury.
Given these injury concerns, there is a possibility that Sri Lanka might rotate their bowlers during the tournament. This could provide game time not only for the other fast bowlers in the squad, such as Matheesha Pathirana and Kasun Rajitha but also for the travelling reserve, Chamika Karunaratne, who is a seam-bowling all-rounder.
On the batting front, Sri Lanka seems to be relatively healthier. However, concerns exist regarding the form and consistency of their batsmen, especially following their poor performance in the Asia Cup final where they were bowled out for just 50 runs.
The likely batting order includes:
- Kusal Perera as the opener, possibly alongside Pathum Nissanka.
- Multiple wicketkeeping options in the squad, including Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Kusal Perera.
- The middle order comprising Samarawickrama at four, followed by Charith Asalanka at five and Dhananjaya de Silva at six.
- Dasun Shanaka expected to bat at No. 7, with the hope that he can regain his form after a slump in performance.
Despite the injury concerns in the bowling department, Sri Lanka will have to rely on the available options and hope that their batsmen can step up to contribute significantly in the ODI World Cup.
Sri Lanka’s squad for the ODI World Cup has been officially confirmed, with Dasun Shanaka named as the captain. Here’s a recap of the squad:
- Captain: Dasun Shanaka
- Vice-Captain: Kusal Mendis
- Batsmen: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (wicketkeeper), Dimuth Karunaratne, Charith Asalanka
- All-rounders: Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wicketkeeper)
- Bowlers: Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara
Sri Lanka will kick off their World Cup campaign with warm-up matches against Bangladesh and Afghanistan on September 29 and October 3, respectively, in Guwahati. Their first official match of the tournament will be against South Africa on October 7 in Delhi.
The team has shown confidence in the present composition, although there are concerns regarding the fitness of some key bowlers. Sri Lanka will be hoping for a successful campaign in the World Cup under the leadership of Dasun Shanaka and with the contribution of both experienced and emerging talents in their squad.
