Blow for Sri Lanka, Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026
Sri Lanka have suffered a major setback as star pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out of the remaining T20 World Cup 2026. He suffered an injury during the clash against Australia, and it has been revealed that he has picked up a calf strain.
In a major blow for Sri Lanka, their star fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to a calf strain, ESPNCricinfo reported. Pathirana had gone down clutching his left leg in his team's clash against Australia on February 16.
Pathirana was in pain as he fell after bowling his fourth ball of the match. He did not return to bowl any further in the game and left the field. Meanwhile, the report in ESPNCricinfo stated that the scans have revealed a calf strain, which may take several weeks to heal, as his World Cup seems to be over. However, his participation in the IPL is not in danger as of now.
Vikram Rathour confirms Pathirana's severity of injury
Meanwhile, former India batting coach Vikram Rathour, who is Sri Lanka's batting consultant, has confirmed the severity of the injury ahead of their last league stage clash against Zimbabwe. "I think he's been declared unfit for the rest of the tournament. I think that news will be coming out if it's ruling him out. As far as the replacement is concerned, it's still being discussed," Rathour said.
However, Sri Lanka have a few replacement options at their disposal. Left-arm pacers Dilshan Madushanka and Binura Fernando are among the options, while Sri Lanka can also call in slingy speedster Nuwan Thushara. The team management is additionally weighing up batting reinforcements and spin-bowling alternatives.
More to follow...