Kusal Perera out of South Africa ODIs with hamstring injury

Wednesday, 13 March 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Kusal Perera was injured while fielding early in South Africa’s innings: AFP

ESPNCricinfo: Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera has been ruled out of the remainder of the South Africa tour following a hamstring tear, sustained in Durban on Sunday. The SLC also announced it won’t be sending a replacement player.

Perera had been fielding at mid-on when he dived to intercept a shot hit by Faf du Plessis in the seventh over of the ODI in Durban. Having landed awkwardly, he immediately clutched his knee, and hobbled off the field soon after. He did not return to field, nor did he bat in Sri Lanka’s chase.

This is the third serious hamstring injury he has suffered in as many years. In 2017, a hamstring tear at the Champions Trophy had kept Perera out of top-level cricket for several months, before he endured a long layoff last year as well. This injury, however, is not expected to keep him out of the reckoning for the World Cup. Perera had a rewarding run in the Test leg of the tour, scoring 353 runs in five innings, including a fifty and a sensational 153 not-out in the first Test that handed Sri Lanka one of their most memorable victories in the format, and set up their 2-0 series sweep. In his two innings in the ODIs, though, he made only 33 and 8.

Sri Lanka have lost all three ODIs so far, by big margins, and will play the fourth ODI on Wednesday, in Port Elizabeth.