Dushmantha Chameera, Sri Lanka’s pace spearhead, will be unavailable for the white-ball leg of the current tour of New Zealand. The selectors initially included the 31-year-old, who had recently undergone ankle surgery, in the squad in the hope that he would complete rehabilitation in time for the tour.
However, the most recent update indicates that Chameera’s progress has not been satisfactory, implying that he will be unable to make the trip. Matheesha Pathirana, a rookie pacer, will fill in for the ODIs, while Pramod Madushan is a late addition to the T20I squad.
As the countdown to the 50-over World Cup approaches, Sri Lanka has named Angelo Mathews to the ODI squad, despite the veteran having last played 50-over international cricket in March 2021.
The notable omission from the T20I squad is Bhanuka Rajapaksa, the hero of Sri Lanka’s victorious Asia Cup campaign last year, while Kusal Perera returns to the T20 setup after a lengthy absence due to various reasons, including a shoulder injury. Lasith Croospulle, an uncapped all-rounder, has also been named to Sri Lanka’s T20I squad.
The ODI series starts on March 25 while the T20Is begin from April 2.
ODI Squad: D Shanaka(c), P Nissanka, N Fernando, K Mendis(wk), A Mathews, C Asalanka, S Samarawickrama, D de Silva, S Arachchige, W Hasaranga, D Wellalage, M Theekshana, K Rajitha, L Kumara, P Madushan, D Madushanka, C Karunaratne, M Pathirana
T20I Squad: D Shanaka(c), P Nissanka, K Mendis(wk), K Perera, D de Silva, C Asalanka, L Croospulle, S Samarawickrama, N Fernando, W Hasaranga, M Theekshana, D Wellalage, K Rajitha, L Kumara, D Madushanka, C Karunaratne, M Pathirana, P Madushan