Maheesh Theekshana
Maheesh Theekshana Credits: Twitter

Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana strained his right hamstring during the high-octane Super 4 match against Pakistan. He will undergo a scan on Friday, to know more about the extent of the injury ahead of the marquee final against India on Sunday.

Theekshana attempted a dive from a deep backward square to prevent a boundary off Dunith Wellalage’s bowling during the crucial moment of the game. The 23-year-old made an effort to halt it but was unsuccessful as he injured himself in the process. Despite limping, the Sri Lankan spinner completed his full quota of overs in the game.

Pakistan’s side was down and nearly out of the contest when Sri Lanka required 12 runs off two overs with five wickets in hand. Earlier, things dramatically changed when Iftikhar Ahmed began to pick wickets of the Sri Lanka middle-order batters.

The Men in Green pulled back the game from the Lankan Lions in the final few overs before Charith Asalanka’s heroics rescued the day for the defending champions on Thursday.

“Maheesh Theekshana has strained his right hamstring. The player will undergo a scan tomorrow to fully assess his condition. Theekshana sustained the injury while he was fielding during the ongoing game between Sri Lanka and Pakistan,” Sri Lanka Cricket wrote on X.

Theekshana bowled nine overs in the game conceding just 42 runs and picking up the crucial wicket of Mohammad Nawaz, to score a spot in Sunday’s Asia Cup final against India by overcoming Pakistan by two wickets in a nail-biting thriller on Thursday.

Sri Lanka spinners have been crucial for the team’s success in the Asia Cup 2023, with Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Charith Asalanka stepping up for their side in the crunch moments of the game.

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Credits: Twitter

Maheesh Theekshana has a handful of variations in his bowling. The Sri Lankan mystery spinner can outfox many opposition batters irrespective of the conditions, as he can vary his line and length according to the surface and could be a crucial miss if he fails to recover from the injury in the game.

Dasun Shanka-led side surprised everyone in the last edition of the continental event, as they came up top against Asian giants India and Pakistan to win the championship in Dubai and they will look to defend their title against India this time around on the home soil.