Sri Lanka’s World Cup hopes have been dealt a major blow as captain Dasun Shanaka is ruled out for the remainder of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup due to injury.
Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign faces a significant setback as captain Dasun Shanaka is set to miss the rest of the tournament due to a quad injury sustained during their recent match against Pakistan. Medical scans indicate he will be out of action for at least three weeks. In response, Sri Lanka has made the decision to bring in all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne as Shanaka’s replacement, a move officially sanctioned by the Event Technical Committee on Saturday.
🚨 The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has approved Chamika Karunaratne as a replacement for Dasun Shanaka in the Sri Lankan squad.
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) October 14, 2023
Karunaratne who has played 23 ODIs, was named as a replacement after Shanaka was ruled out due to a right thigh… pic.twitter.com/pgejuMWjVw
Chamika Karunaratne, who has been traveling with the team as their reserve player, is already in India and could be a potential addition to Sri Lanka’s lineup for their upcoming match against Australia in Lucknow on Monday. The 27-year-old all-rounder, despite not playing for Sri Lanka since April, brings experience from over 60 international appearances in all formats.
With captain Dasun Shanaka sidelined due to injury, the in-form batter Kusal Mendis, serving as the vice-captain, is expected to assume the leadership role for Sri Lanka.
The ICC World Cup qualifiers’ champions, have not had a great start in the tournament. Sri Lanka lost by 102 runs to South Africa in Delhi and was not able to defend a 344-run target against Pakistan in Hyderabad. Their next match against Australia at Lucknow’s Ekana Cricket Stadium on October 16 is vital for their semi-finals hopes, especially after suffering two losses.
Last Updated on October 14, 2023
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