Sri Lanka has faced a significant setback before their T20I and ODI series against India, which begins on July 27. Their fast bowler, Dushmantha Chameera, has been ruled out of both series, and their chief selector, Upul Tharanga, has confirmed this news. Chameera is Sri Lanka’s top wicket-taker in T20Is against India, and his absence will be felt during the series.
To clarify, India’s T20I series against Sri Lanka is scheduled to start on July 27, with all three matches taking place in Pallekele. This series marks the first assignment for India’s full-time head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya. Regarding Chameera’s injury, Tharanga has stated that they will soon announce a replacement for him in the T20I squad.
“We received the reports just yesterday, and it’s confirmed that he will not participate in the T20 and ODI matches against India. We will announce a substitute player soon,” he mentioned. Interestingly, Chameera did not play in the last few games for Kandy Falcons in the recently finished Lanka Premier League (LPL), and it’s still uncertain when he got injured. Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madhushanka, and Kasun Rajitha are possible substitutes for Chameera.
Some notable players missing from Sri Lanka’s T20I team include Angelo Mathews. Upul Tharanga has explained that the experienced cricketer is not part of their current T20I plans. Notably, Mathews had returned for the T20 World Cup and performed well in the LPL 2024, scoring 261 runs with a strike rate of 151.74.
“When we joined as selectors, we discussed with Angie about participating in the previous World Cup, which was the plan. But after the tournament, we talked again and informed him that he was not in our plans for the upcoming World Cup.”
“However, while he performed well when we brought him into the team for a short period, he also did a good job as a finisher in the LPL. But we must focus on what’s ahead. We have a significant need for a versatile player in the team, and we’re considering two or three new players for that position. We plan to give them a chance to prepare for the next World Cup,” Tharanga said.
