Binura, Chamindu, Chandimal and KJP make it to the T20 side
Binura Fernando, Chamindu Wickremasinghe, Dinesh Chandimal, and Kusal Janith Perera have earned their places in the national T20 side to face India in the three-match series starting next Saturday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
They have replaced Dilshan Madushanka, Angelo Mathews, Sadeera Samarawickrema, and Dhananjaya de Silva, who were part of the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies last month.
Left-arm seamer Fernando impressed many during the LPL tournament, claiming 13 wickets in eight games for Colombo Strikers at an average of 16.00. His performance has been rightly rewarded with a national call-up as a replacement for Madushanka. Madushanka, a left-arm seamer himself, didn’t live up to expectations, claiming just two wickets in six games for Dambulla Sixers. Fernando joins a four-man fast-bowling battalion that includes Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Parthirana.
Uncapped Wickremasinghe surprised many with his all-round performances during the LPL, particularly with his batting. Given the impact he made during the LPL, the selectors have offered him a place in the squad. He scored 186 runs in eight games and picked up seven wickets with his right-arm medium-fast bowling. The 21-year-old is a powerful striker of the ball and is viewed as an investment for the future.
Perera and Chandimal, the two seniors who missed the recent T20 World Cup, have been in excellent form and have been rewarded with recalls as Sri Lanka looks to redeem their reputation against the world champions. Chandimal last played a T20 international in February 2022 against India, while Perera played in the Afghanistan series earlier this year.
Chandimal and Perera both played as openers for their respective teams and, with 276 and 296 runs respectively, they are among the top run-scorers of the tournament. Mathews, though he had a decent tournament, has been dropped from the side as selectors are reportedly looking for a replacement for the aging senior. Charith Asalanka will lead Sri Lanka for the first time since being promoted as Sri Lanka skipper following the resignation of Wanindu Hasaranga, who will remain as a key player in the side. Kusal Mendis, despite a modest performance at the World Cup and even at the LPL, has retained his spot at the request of Asalanka. Mendis has scored 259 runs in 12 innings over the last 12 months at an average of 29.91. The spin department includes Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage.
Meanwhile, India named Suryakumar Yadav as their T20 captain after Rohit Sharma quit the shortest format following last month’s World Cup triumph. Suryakumar, an attacking middle-order batsman who has been India’s go-to player in the T20 format, remained new coach Gautam Gambhir’s top choice, according to media reports. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was Rohit’s deputy in the T20 World Cup, was initially a frontrunner for the job but lost out due to his frequent injury breakdowns. Pandya remains part of the T20 squad.
When India toured Sri Lanka last in 2021 under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan, the hosts beat them 2-1, their first series win over their powerful neighbour. The two countries have played each other in 29 times with India having an impressive record of 19 wins. Sri Lanka has won nine, with one game ending in no result.
Sri Lanka’s probable squad: Charith Asalanka (Capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mends, Kusal Janith Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dushmantha Chameera, Avishka Fernando, Chamindu Wickremasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando
T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj
