With less than 15 days before the World Cup 2023, Sri Lanka Cricket gives the fitness update on the star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and reveals the squad for the World Cup.
Madushanka-Kumara return for World Cup Squad
ICC has given a deadline for the announcement of the final squad on September 27 for the upcoming men’s ODI World Cup tournament. On this occasion, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced the return of Madushanka, Kumara to the squad for the marquee event.
Sri Lanka had recently completed its Asia Cup Campaign as they lost the finals against India with a low score defeat. Winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat, where Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera opened the innings while Jasprit Bumrah opened a bowling attack. With the dismissal of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera with 2 and a duck, Kusal Mendis scored 17 runs and was sent out by Siraj. By the end of 4th over Sri Lanka was down to 12/5 with the fall of Dhananjaya de Silva for four runs.
Other batters struggled against the terrific bowling attack of India, where Mohammed Siraj dismissed 6 batters while Hardik Pandya scalped three wickets. By the end, Sri Lanka was all out scoring only 50 runs on the 2nd ball of the 16th over.
With folding Sri Lanka for 50 runs, Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill opened the innings while Pramod Madushan opened bowling attack. Ishan Kishan scored 23 runs on 18 deliveries including 3 boundaries and Shubman Gill scored 27 runs on 19 deliveries which includes 6 boundaries. On the first ball of 7th over, India scored 51 runs and had victory in the finals of the Asia Cup 2023 with 10 wickets.
With Wanindu Hasaranga’s injury, the team management consulted foreign doctors on the plans for surgery. The statement from board said, “We are consulting foreign doctors to see whether he needs surgery or not. If he does, he will be out for at least three months. At the moment, the situation is not that great and it’s highly unlikely that he can play in the World Cup,”
“Since he is a key weapon in our attack, we are looking at other options to see how best we can get his services at least for important games. All that depends on the opinions of the consultant to whom we are trying to show his reports.”
Sri Lanka will kickstart their World Cup campaign starting with the warmup matches against Bangladesh on September 29 and Afghanistan on October 3 at Barsapara Stadium.
Sri Lanka squad for World Cup 2023
Dasun Shanaka (C), Kusal Mendis (VC), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka
