Sri Lanka veteran batter Dinesh Chandimal has been ruled out of the remainder of the first Test against India at the Galle International Cricket Stadium after failing a concussion assessment. Uncapped batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara has been approved as his concussion substitute and will replace Chandimal for the rest of the match.ย Chandimal suffered the injury early on Day 4 while attempting to stop a ball near the boundary.
The experienced batter landed awkwardly, with his shoulder, head, and neck taking the impact. He immediately received treatment from the Sri Lankan medical staff before leaving the field.
Chandimal was subsequently taken to the hospital for a precautionary scan. The examination showed no signs of internal injury, but further assessment by the team doctor and physiotherapist confirmed that he had failed the concussion test. As a result, he will take no further part in the Test and will also be unavailable when Sri Lanka begins their run chase.
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Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that the match referee had approved Sooriyabandara as the concussion replacement. The 26-year-old now has an opportunity to make his presence felt on the international stage after building an impressive record in first-class cricket.
๐จ Dinesh Chandimal was taken for a precautionary scan, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ท๐๐ฟ๐.
He was subsequently ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป by the doctor and team physiotherapist on the ground and ๐๐ฎ๐โฆ pic.twitter.com/3iarEe8fV6
โ Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) August 18, 2026
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Sooriyabandara impressed during Sri Lankaโs warm-up match against India, scoring 35 off 63 balls in the first innings. He made only four in the second innings before being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna.ย His first-class numbers highlight his batting credentials. In 68 matches, Sooriyabandara has scored 4,893 runs at an outstanding average of 54.36. His record includes 14 centuries, 23 fifties and a highest score of 242.
Interestingly, the concussion substitute has already made an impact in the Galle Test. Sooriyabandara produced an excellent catch in the deep to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja during Indiaโs second innings, adding to Sri Lankaโs fightback.
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India had appeared comfortably placed at 111/3 before their innings suddenly lost momentum. Devdutt Padikkalโs dismissal triggered further pressure, although Rishabh Pant responded with a valuable half-century.
Sri Lanka then produced a dramatic late collapse, claiming Indiaโs final five wickets within just eight overs. The visitors were unable to push their lead beyond the 400-run mark as Sri Lankaโs bowlers finished strongly.ย With Chandimal unavailable due to concussion, Sooriyabandara could now play a crucial role in Sri Lankaโs attempt to chase down Indiaโs imposing target in the final stages of the Galle Test.
