Sri Lanka has announced a 15-member squad for the prestigious ODI World Cup 2023. And there comes a major blow for the Lankan Clan as their star players Dushmantha Chameera & Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the marquee event due to injuries. Shanaka whose role as a Captain of the team was under scanner after Lanka’s dismal show against India will continue to lead the team throughout the marquee event in the October & November window.
The rest of the 15-member squad is the same that has played in Asia Cup 2023. The only change in the announced squad is the inclusion of two players Madhushanka & Kumara in place of Madhushan & Fernando. Chamika Karunaratne has been named as a traveling reserve.
Hasaranga & Chameera will be out of Sri Lanka Squad for ODI World Cup 2023
Among the injured players, the presence of Chameera will be missed. He last played for Sri lanka back in June against Afghanistan & again in the warm-ups of the World Cup qualifier. After that, he was out of action due to a torn pectoral muscle, which he suffered ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe. After recovering from that injury he got injured again in the LPL 2023. Notably, he missed the T20 World Cup in 2022 due to an ankle injury. There is a certain hope of him recovering till the marquee event.
The major blow for the Lankan team is the absence of Hasaranga who was one of their biggest bets in the World Cup 2023. However, there are talks going on about including him to the Sri lanka World Cup squad with the hope that he would be fit to play during the latter stages of the tournament
“Wanindu Hasaranga has not been included in the 15-member squad as the player is still in the process of recovering from an injury,”
an SLC statement said.
“His recovery will be monitored, and if he is declared fit to play, he will be considered as a replacement in the event of an injury to a squad member during the tournament.”
Injury spate has taken a toll on the Sri Lankan Team ahead of World Cup 2023
Injury concerns have become a center of attraction for the Sri Lankan team whose bowling is reeling with injuries, with the inclusion of no less than three front-line bowlers who are just returning from injuries. Maheesh Theekshana is returning from a hamstring injury that he sustained during Asia Cup 2023. While Madushanka is just back from a torn oblique muscle. Kumara, meanwhile, missed the entire Asia Cup with a side strain. He also has a worrying history of being ruled out mid-game with the same recurring injury.
This means all three returning pacers, Matheesha Pathirana & Kasun Rajitha along with travelling reserve all-rounder Karunaratne can get game time with key players absent from the squad. There are chances that Kusal Perera will keep Dimuth Karunaratne out of the starting XI, and open alongside Pathum Nissanka. Perera is one of the three wicketkeeping options in the squad along with Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis – who kept for the entirety of the Asia Cup – with all three expected to start.
Meanwhile, the middle order will be handled by Samarawickrama at No. 4 followed by Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva at five and six respectively. This means Shanaka occupies the No. 7 spot with Head coach Chris Silverwood giving backing to Shanaka with the hope that he will find his lost form back.
Even Sri Lankan selectors opted to take a more holistic view of Shanaka’s performance as a cpatain. The SriLankan Board held a special meeting after the Asia Cup where top members of SLC such as Silverwood, consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene, team manager Mahinda Halangoda, and members of the selection committee including chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe, were involved. They supported the current team with their vote of confidence.
“The selectors, during the meeting, explained the intended composition of the World Cup squad and also possible contingency plans in place for replacements if such a measure is needed,”
the board had said in a media statement at the time.
“During the meeting, all in attendance were in agreement that the national team is going in the right direction towards making further progress.”
Sri Lanka will kickstart their World Cup Campaign with Warm-up fixtures against Bangladesh & Afghanistan on September 29 and October 3 in Guwahati, before their first Official match of the tournament against South Africa on October 7 in Delhi.
Sri Lanka ODI World Cup 2023 squad:
Dasun Shanaka (capt), Kusal Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (wk), Dimuth Karunaratne, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara
Travelling reserve: Chamika Karunaratne
Also read, IND vs AUS: Axar Patel ruled out of 3rd ODI due to Injury
