Kusal Mendis Ruled Out of England T20Is; Asalanka to Lead Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have suffered a significant setback ahead of their upcoming T20I series against England, with captain Kusal Mendis ruled out after failing to recover from a hamstring injury. In his absence, Charith Asalanka will take over the captaincy for the series, which begins later this month.

Mendis sustained the injury while representing Colombo Kaps in the Lanka Premier League in July. The wicketkeeper-batter was injured after featuring in only two matches during the tournament, and his recovery has taken longer than initially expected. The injury had already forced him to miss Sri Lanka’s two-Test series against India at home, and he will now remain unavailable for the important T20I assignment in England.

Asalanka, who was initially named vice-captain of the squad, will now lead Sri Lanka in Mendis’ absence. The England series will also mark an important return for Asalanka in the shortest format after he was left out of Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies in June. The upcoming matches provide him with an opportunity to re-establish himself as a key figure in Sri Lanka’s T20I setup while taking on the added responsibility of captaincy.

Sri Lanka have named Pavan Rathnayake as Mendis’ replacement in the squad. The selectors have also been forced into another change in the bowling department, with left-arm pacer Binura Fernando ruled out because of a back injury. Dilshan Madushanka has been called up as his replacement, strengthening Sri Lanka’s left-arm pace options for the challenging tour.

The revised squad features several experienced names, including Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera. Young and emerging players such as Kamil Mishara, Janith Liyanage, Tharindu Rathnayake and Eshan Malinga are also part of the touring group.

Sri Lanka will face England in the opening T20I at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on September 15. With Mendis unavailable and Asalanka stepping into the leadership role, the visitors will hope their revised squad can quickly adapt and produce a strong performance against one of the most competitive sides in world cricket