2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Sri Lanka Await Kusal Perera Availability As Batsman To Undergo Radiographic Test
Nov 2, 2023 at 3:44 PM
The Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Perera will undergo a radiographic test on his hamstring, which will determine his availability for the next game against Pakistan. The team management will hope Perera gets fit in time so as to take the field in the last league stage game.
Perera has had a good outing with the bat in this Champions Trophy as in two innings, he has a score of 44* and 47* alongside his name, with the latter one coming in a match-winning effort against India where Sri Lanka chased down a total of 322, to stun the defending champions. Perera was the mainstay batsman for the team as at one stage, they lost two quick wickets in form of run-outs but he stood there alongside captain Angelo Mathews, sharing 75 runs for the fourth wicket before he pulled off his hamstring and was forced to leave the field. He was finding it difficult to walk and was helped outside the ground by others, which tells the impact of the injury.
Though Sri Lanka has two backups in form of Dilruwan Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva; Perera is an in-form player and if ruled out, then it will have a big impact on Sri Lanka’s hopes, which were enlightened when they stunned India to open up the Group B.
All the teams in this group – viz India, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka itself, have a win apiece in two games and a win here will open gates for two teams which lead to semi-finals. In short, the next two games of Group B are none less then quarter-finals.
Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews, who himself was struggling a bit yesterday, will hope Perera to be fit and available for the game. In case he is ruled out, then Perera will be the second casualty to Sri Lanka as they have already lost service of Chamara Kapugedera, who was ruled out after the first game due to injury on his right knee. However, Danushka Gunathilaka, his replacement made an immediate impact and led his team to a win over India by playing an innings of 76, sharing 159 runs with Kusal Mendis for the second wicket.
Sri Lanka will face Pakistan on 12 June at Cardiff and the winner will get to face one of the team’s from Group A in the semi-final.