Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Tuesday, 18 November 2025 03:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
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Dasun Shanaka
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Pavan Rathnayake
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Sri Lanka faced fitness issues with four key players ahead of the Pakistan T20I Tri-Series, which commences at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium today.
Hosts Pakistan take on Zimbabwe in the opening game today, which gives Sri Lanka time until Thursday to get their players fit.
Skipper Charith Asalanka and fast bowler Asitha Fernando, both down with a viral flu, will not be part of the T20I Tri-Series as they will be returning home, while all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, nursing hamstring and niggling knee injuries, respectively, will remain with the squad. Neither of the four featured in the third and final ODI on Sunday, which Pakistan won by six wickets to win the series 3-0.
With Asalanka unavailable, former Captain Dasun Shanaka, named Vice-Captain for the T20I Tri-Series, will lead Sri Lanka, whose opening match is on Thursday against Zimbabwe. As for Hasaranga and Chameera, the team will take a final call on them depending on the report from the physio.
As cover for Asalanka, Sri Lanka has brought in young middle order batsman Pavan Rathnayake, who made his ODI debut in the third match against Pakistan on Sunday. Rathnayake impressed in the short time he was at the crease, scoring 32 off 37 balls before getting run out trying to farm the strike with number 11 batsman Eshan Malinga.
Meanwhile, the T20 specialists who arrived from Colombo had their first session of practice yesterday.
