- By Manik Sharma
- Sun, 29 Oct 2023 02:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Cricket World Cup 2023: Sri Lanka's Cricket World Cup campaign has hit another roadblock as in-form fast bowler Lahiru Kumara has been ruled out of the tournament due to a left thigh muscle injury. He sustained the injury during a training session in Pune, just before Sri Lanka’s crucial clash against Afghanistan.
“Chameera approved as replacement for Kumara in Sri Lanka squad,” Sri Lanka Cricket Board said in a statement posted on their official X (formerly twitter) handle.
“Chameera, who has played 44 ODIs, was named as a replacement after Kumara was ruled out due to a left thigh muscle injury sustained during training in Pune,” the statement added.
Kumara's journey at the World Cup had been impressive, most notably with his pivotal role in Sri Lanka's stunning victory over England in Bengaluru. He claimed three crucial wickets in the match, including the dismissals of England's skipper Jos Buttler and the all-rounders Ben Stokes and Liam Livingstone. Kumara’s brilliant figures of 3/35 helped bundle out the defending champions for a humbling total of 156 runs, setting up an emphatic eight-wicket win for Sri Lanka.
In response to this setback, Sri Lanka swiftly named experienced right-arm fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera as Kumara’s replacement. Chameera's inclusion was approved by the Event Technical Committee.
Interestingly, Chameera was not initially part of the 15-member squad. However, following his recovery from an injury suffered during the Lanka Premier League, he was called up as a travelling reserve along with the veteran Angelo Mathews. Mathews, too, found his way into the squad as a replacement for the injured pacer Matheesha Pathirana before the match against England.
Sri Lanka are currently sitting in fifth place on the World Cup standings with two wins from five appearances. They have to win the rest of their matches to assure a spot in the semi finals.
