Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka suffered a quad injury in the match against Pakistan. The after-match scans revealed the seriousness of the injury and Shanaka is expected to be out of action for a minimum of three weeks which sidelines the hard-hitting all-rounder for the rest of the tournament.
The team management has taken a major call and announced Shanaka’s replacement. Chamika Karunaratne who has been traveling with the team as reserve replaces Shanaka in the 15-member squad. The ICC committee approved Shanaka’s replacement for the remainder of the tournament.
Chamika Karunaratne last played an international for Sri Lanka in a T20I match against New Zealand in April. The 27-year-old in his short International career played 60 matches for his nation across all three formats. He is likely to be in contention to be included in the playing XI in Sri Lanka’s next game against Australia in Lucknow as he has been traveling with the team since the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Kusal Mendis to lead the squad in Dasun Shanaka’s absence
The team management is yet to take a call on who will lead the squad in Dasun Shanaka’s absence. There are few ideal candidates who can fill in the role as the captain of the team. In the absence of Dasun Shanaka the vice-captain of the team, Kusal Mendis is expected to take over the reins as the stand-in captain for the rest of the tournament.
Kusal Mendis has led his team with the bat scoring 198 runs in two matches and he might be the perfect candidate to lead the squad and change the momentum and form of his team in the upcoming matches. Dhananjaya de Silva will likely be appointed as the deputy to Kusal Mendis as he is the most experienced player in the Sri Lankan squad.
