The cricket board of Sri Lanka announced on Wednesday that fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, who was suffering from bronchitis and a respiratory illness, would not be able to play in the white-ball home series against India.
The successor for Chameera is Pacer Asitha Fernando.
“Dushmantha Chameera is still recovering from a bronchitis and respiratory infection he contracted, and hence will not be part of the T20I series,” Sri Lanka Cricket tweeted.
“Asitha Fernando joins the squad in place of Chameera.”
Former top selector of Sri Lanka Upul Tharanga had also “confirmed” earlier in the day that Chameera will not be playing in the composite six-match series (3 T20Is and 3 ODIs).
“Yesterday we got the reports, and it can be confirmed that he will miss the T20Is and ODIs against India,” Tharanga said during a press briefing in which newly-appointed interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya was also present.
In the Lanka Premier League final, Asitha, 26, was the most effective bowler, taking three wickets to help the Jaffna Kings defeat the Galle Marvels.
The 32-year-old Chameera, a fast bowler who made his Sri Lankan debut on the international scene in 2015, has struggled with injuries throughout of his career.
He has taken 32, 56, and 55 wickets in 52 ODIs, 55 T20 matches, and 12 Tests thus far.
Chameera did not participate in the last several Lanka Premier League (LPL) games for the Kandy Falcons.
Among notable occasions, Chameera’s calf injury kept him out of the 2022 Asia Cup and the ensuing T20 World Cup in Australia.
Due to a shoulder injury, he was initially left off of the ODI World Cup roster last year and missed the 2023 Asia Cup as well. Following the injury of fellow pacer Matheesha Pathirana, he was picked as a replacement.
He suffered a quadriceps injury earlier this year, which kept him out of the home series against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Despite not playing in any matches, he was a member of the squad for the just concluded T20 World Cup in the Americas.
Gautam Gambhir, the recently appointed head coach of India, will be taking on his first task with the Sri Lanka series.
Pallekele will host the three Twenty20 matches. The first match is slated on July 27; the other two are scheduled for July 28 and July 30.
August 2, 4, and 7 will see the next three-match ODI series contested in Colombo.
