Even before the start of the three-match T20I series against the touring Indian side, the host Sri Lanka team faced a major blow as their star expressive pacer bowler Dushmantha Chameera got ruled out of the three games in the shortest format against the blue brigade as the Sri Lanka media reports have confirmed.
Chameera, who has a history of long injuries, has been out of the series due to illness. This comes just a day after the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLCB) announced their squad for the 20-over series against the Suryakumar Yadav-led side.
The absence of the 32-year-old from the squad will make the hosts’ bowling unit quiet light, as the pacer has 55 wickets in 55 T20I innings, at an average of just under 29 and an economy of a little over eight, with a best bowling figure of 4/17.
Inexperienced pacer joins Sri Lanka team for T20I series
Chameera has gained huge success over the Indian team with his expressive pace and uncontrollable bounce, which hurry the Indian batters, giving them hardly any time to come up with an answer. He is also the fifth-highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in T20Is, which again shows his value in this format.
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When it comes to his performance against the ‘Men in Blue’, the Ragama-born bowler has celebrated 16 T20I wickets in 15 games, at an average of under 27.
In the recently concluded, Lankan Premier League (LPL) 2024, Chameera didn’t display a great performance as he could manage only six wickets in the event, playing for the Kandy Falcons, at an average of over 33, and an economy rate of just under 10, in the five fixtures that he was part of.
However, the positive news is that because it’s not an injury and only an illness, which is expected to get better in the upcoming week, Chameera could be part of the Sri Lanka side in the upcoming three-match ODI series against the same opponent. He was part of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in this Indian Premier League (IPL) where he played just one game and didn’t enjoy a great outing.
In his place, the national team has called back right-arm fast bowler Asitha Fernando, who has experience from only three T20I games, where he picked up only two wickets, at an average of over 56 and an economy of 11.30.
Fernando is back in the T20I set-up of the side, after a gap of two years. In 49 T20 innings, the 26-year-old has grabbed 58 scalps at an average of below 25, and an economy rate of 8.54, with a best figure of 6/8. He could bring new challengers to the Indian players, who are not very familiar with his bowling.
He will be joining the likes of Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara in the squad. Both of these two bowlers too have been quite new in International cricket, despite having experience in various T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL.
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Binura Fernando, the left-arm medium pacer is to part of the T20I squad, having taken 16 wickets in 17 innings, at an economy of 8.53. All in all, it will be an inexperienced bowling unit for the home side.
Updated Sri Lanka squad for the T20I series against India
Charith Asalanka (c), 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.
