Dushmanta Chameera’s fitness has always been a subject of debate, as the pacer’s last T20I appearence came in September 2022 against India.
New Delhi: Sri Lanka cricket team have suffered a massive setback ahead of the three-match T20I series against India. Star pacer Dushmanta Chameera on Wednesday, July 24, got ruled out of all three matches against India.
Dushmanta Chameera has been ruled out of the series due to illness. This comes the day after the Sri Lanka cricket team announced their squad for the T20I series. His absence will leave a massive void in the bowling department considering his records against India.
Chameera has been the highest wicket-taker against India in T20Is. The pacer clinched 16 wickets from 15 matches at an average of 26.68. He always made an impact with his performances.
Dushmantha Chameera’s last appearance was in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024. Unfortunately, the pacer didn’t have the performance he was hoping for. Playing for Kandy Falcons, he managed to take six wickets at an average of 33.16 and an economy rate of 9.95 in five games.
Earlier reports suggested that Chameera would miss the series against India due to an injury sustained during the LPL. However, recent updates reveal that the fast bowler is not injured but will miss the games due to illness.
Chameera has had a career plagued by injuries, making him one of the most unfortunate pacers in world cricket. He previously missed the ODI series against Afghanistan due to a quadriceps injury and has been battling various side strains and a stress fracture in his back, causing him to miss numerous matches.
Chameera was also part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the Indian Premier League. However, he had limited opportunities to play due to the presence of Mitchell Starc on the team. He featured in just one match and didn’t have a standout performance with the ball.
Chameera is also included in the ODI series against India. Although there is no clarity on whether he will play in the series, it is hoped that he will recover from his illness in time for the 50-over games scheduled to begin next month.
With Chameera’s forceful exclusion from the T20I series, Asitha Fernando has been called into the team to replace the pacer. Fernando has played 3 T20Is for Sri Lanka so far and picked two wickets. He will be joining Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara in the squad as a fast bowler.
Here’s the Sri Lanka updated squad for the three-match series:
Charith Asalanka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Asitha Fernando, Binura Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Dunith Wellalage.
The first match of the series will be played on the 27th of July, followed by the last two games slated to take place on the 28th and 30th of July, respectively. The games will be played in the evening and will start from 7:00 PM IST
