A massive blow has come to Sri Lanka ahead of the T20I series against India, where star pacer Dushmantha Chameera was declared out of the series owing to injury. According to reports in Sri Lankan media on Wednesday, July 24, the 32-year-old right-arm fast bowler—with 55 wickets from 55 T20Is—would not feature in the upcoming three-match series against India because of injury.

Chameera was named in Sri Lanka’s initial 16-member squad announced on Tuesday. Charith Asalanka-led team faces India in Gautam Gambhir’s maiden series as head coach of the Indian cricket team. Chameera would not have been the most experienced pacer in the Sri Lankan squad, and now his absence is a massive setback. Instead, Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara will probably spearhead the pace attack for the 2014 T20 World Cup winners.

So far, there has been no official word from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board about Chameera’s injury or a replacement for the injured pacer. Chameera last played a T20I for Sri Lanka on January 18, 2024, against Zimbabwe.

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Although he was in the squad for T20 World Cup 2024, he did not play a single game of the four Group D matches. Under the leadership of Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka managed to win only one game in the T20 World Cup 2024 and failed to progress to the Super 8s.

Big relief to Team India.

Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of the white-ball series against Team India due to illness. pic.twitter.com/un1rEcBa8a

— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) July 24, 2024

Charith Asalanka was appointed the new skipper of the Sri Lankans in T20Is for the India series after all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga stepped down from the position last month. Hasaranga, who took over the mantle from the incumbent Dasun Shanaka, did not do justice to his role as a player and captain during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.

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Suryakumar Yadav is to lead India in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Suryakumar, the former world No. 1 T20I batsman, was appointed as India’s new captain after the retirement of Rohit Sharma. Having made his debut as a T20I batsman for India in March 2021 against England, Suryakumar has emulated the skills of a captain by winning five out of seven games. He took up that role for the very first time, so now, against Sri Lanka, he will have his first big test.