Sri Lanka player Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of T20Is against India
Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of the India series, which begins on July 27.
According to a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) media release, “Chameera is still recovering from bronchitis and a respiratory infection, and therefore will not be part of the T20I series.”
The release also announced that Asitha Fernando will replace Chameera in the squad.
Known for his raw pace and ability to trouble batters with his speed, the 32-year-old Chameera has taken 55 wickets in T20Is for Sri Lanka, maintaining an economy rate of around 8.09.
Despite being highly regarded by selectors, Chameera has faced frequent injury setbacks since 2022.
He missed the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia that year due to a calf injury.
He was again sidelined for the 2023 Asia Cup due to a shoulder injury and was initially left out of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, only to be included later as a replacement for Matheesha Pathirana.
Earlier this year, he was ruled out midway through the Afghanistan and Bangladesh home series due to a quadriceps injury.
Although he was selected for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last month, he did not play.
Chameera made five appearances for the Kandy Falcons in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL) but did not feature in the latter half of the competition.
Fernando, who replaces Chameera, has played just 3 T20Is to date.
However, he made an impact in the LPL final with a match-winning spell of 3 for 35, claiming the key wickets of Tim Seifert, Janith Liyanage, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
Despite a challenging LPL campaign where he took 7 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate of 9.71, Fernando’s performance in the final has earned him a spot in the squad.
Updated SL squad for T20I series:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Charith Asalanka (Captain) |
| Pathum Nissanka |
| Kusal Janith Perera |
| Avishka Fernando |
| Kusal Mendis |
| Dinesh Chandimal |
| Kamindu Mendis |
| Dasun Shanaka |
| Wanindu Hasaranga |
| Dunith Wellalage |
| Maheesh Theekshana |
| Chamindu Wickramasinghe |
| Matheesha Pathirana |
| Nuwan Thushara |
| Asitha Fernando |
| Binura Fernando |
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