Sri Lanka’s hopes in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup have been hit hard with the unfortunate news that their skipper, Dasun Shanaka, will be sidelined for the remainder of the tournament due to injury.
Shanaka sustained a quad injury during Sri Lanka’s recent World Cup match against Pakistan, and subsequent scans have revealed that the dynamic all-rounder will need at least three weeks to recover.
In response to this setback, the Sri Lankan team has taken the decision to replace Shanaka in their squad with another versatile all-rounder, Chamika Karunaratne. This move received the approval of the Event Technical Committee on Saturday.
Chamika Karunaratne, who is already with the team in India as a reserve player, is now in contention to feature in Sri Lanka’s upcoming match against Australia in Lucknow on Monday.
Although Karunaratne has not played for Sri Lanka since his last appearance in a T20I against New Zealand in April, he brings valuable experience with over 60 international appearances in all three formats of the game.
Kusal Mendis, a batsman in excellent form, has been designated as the vice-captain of Sri Lanka’s squad. With Shanaka’s absence, he is expected to step up and take on the responsibilities of captaincy.
READ MORE: New Zealand Secure Third CWC23 Win Despite Williamson’s Injury