Sri Lanka’s ODI squad against India has been further depleted by injuries, with fast bowlers Matheesha Pathirana and Dilshan Madushanka ruled out. The duo joins Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara on the sidelines, leaving the hosts with a depleted bowling attack.
Pathirana, who impressed in the recent T20 World Cup, suffered a shoulder complaint while fielding in the third T20I against India. The injury is a recurrence of the issue that plagued him during last year’s World Cup, prompting the team management to err on the side of caution.
Madushanka, on the other hand, sustained a hamstring injury during training. He played only one match in the T20I series, but was expected to feature in the ODI squad.
Sri Lanka have called up uncapped right-arm seamer Mohamed Shiraz as a replacement for Pathirana. The team is also expected to announce the inclusion of another seamer later on Thursday.
The injuries have come as a major blow to Sri Lanka, who have lost their last 10 matches across formats against India. The hosts will be desperate to break their losing streak in the upcoming ODI series, but they will need to find a way to compensate for the absence of their key bowlers.
