Colombo, July 9 (IANS) Sri Lanka will be without their star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, starting Thursday, after the bowler suffered a hamstring injury during the final One-day International (ODI) of the recently-concluded series.

Hasaranga sustained the injury to his right leg while batting in the third ODI, forcing him out of the T20I leg of the tour. The 26-year-old played a pivotal role in the opening ODI, triggering a dramatic Bangladeshi collapse with a match-defining spell that laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s 2-1 series win.

Despite his importance to the side, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has not announced any replacement. Hasaranga will return to Colombo and begin his rehabilitation process at the High Performance Center (HPC) with hopes of being fit for the upcoming international assignments later this year.

In Hasaranga’s absence, Charith Asalanka will lead a reshuffled Sri Lankan side looking to bounce back after a disappointing T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year. The selectors have made several changes, with experienced names like Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, and Kusal Perera forming the core of the batting unit alongside emerging talents like Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando.

The bowling attack will rely on the pace of Matheesha Pathirana, Binura Fernando, and Nuwan Thushara, while Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, and Jeffrey Vandersay are expected to shoulder the spin responsibilities in Hasaranga’s absence.

The three-match T20I series provides a vital opportunity for Sri Lanka to test their bench strength and fine-tune combinations ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year. With Hasaranga missing out, the focus now shifts to how the rest of the squad steps up in his absence and maintains the momentum from their ODI series win.

Sri Lanka T20I squad:

Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando, Eshan Malinga.

–IANS

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