In a major setback for Sri Lanka, captain Dasun Shanaka has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
Chamika Karunaratne will replace Shanaka in the Sri Lankan squad. The Event Technical Committee of the tournament has given the green light for Karunaratne.
Shanaka was ruled out due to a right thigh muscle injury he sustained during Sri Lanka’s match against Pakistan on October 10. He will require at least three weeks to recover fully.
Karunaratne was initially listed as the traveling reserve for Sri Lanka. Kusal Mendis serves as the designated vice-captain in the original squad. Sri Lanka are missing one of their star players Wanindu Hasaranga before the start of the tournament.
Notably, Sri Lanka have faced defeats in both of their matches so far in the tournament. They have lost against South Africa and Pakistan in two high-scoring contests. They will meet Australia in Lucknow on Monday. The injury-ravaged Sri Lankan team has a major challenge now to keep themselves in contention for a spot in the semifinal.