Lahiru Kumara, a bowler for Sri Lanka who appeared to be in rhythm during their thrilling victory over England in their most recent match, had a left thigh injury during training in Pune and is therefore out of the competition.
The seasoned Dushmantha Chameera, who wasn’t fit enough when the selectors first announced the team for the big event, will take his position. Throughout their turbulent ODI World Cup 2023 campaign so far, injuries and consistency have been Sri Lanka’s two main issues as the defending champions.
Despite the fact that Chameera, a 26-year-old who has played in over 100 international matches, is one of Sri Lanka’s best pacers of the contemporary era, Kumara’s injury is a serious setback. Notably, after his explosive 3/35 in seven overs against England, Lahiru Kumara was named Player of the Match.
The ‘Lankan Lions’ have made three changes to their 15-man roster since the World Cup began. Earlier in the tournament, Matheesha Pathirana and regular captain Dasun Shanaka were disqualified; Chamika Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews, respectively, took their places.
Afghanistan and Sri Lanka aim to survive the CWC 2023
On Monday, October 30, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will play a crucial ODI World Cup 2023 match. Both teams are still vying for a place in the semifinals. After five games, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have split their two victories. On the points table, Kusal Mendis and Co. are ranked fifth, though, because of their better net run rate. The team captained by Hashmatullah Shahidi is ranked seventh in the standings and would dearly love to win their next game.
Both sides have just concluded games that ended in victories that raised spirits. Afghanistan defeated Pakistan by the same amount, but Sri Lanka defeated England by eight wickets. The losing side in the Sri Lanka-Afghanistan match would be dealt a serious blow to their hopes of making the semifinals, thus the two Asian teams will undoubtedly play fiercely on Monday.