Avishka Fernando, a Sri Lanka batsman has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against England who won the 3 matches T20I series 3-0.
He has been ruled out after suffering a grade two tear to his quadriceps. Batsman Avishka Fernando had picked up the injury while fielding in the second T20I of the three-match series against England, and he also did not feature in the third and final T20I.
Avishka Fernando Sustained Injury To His Right Quadriceps
It had been Avishka Fernando’s first tour with the Sri Lanka national team since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He wasn’t named in the limited-overs squads to the West Indies and Bangladesh tours after failing fitness tests. Hence, the 23-year old could have used most of his opportunity in England to make a case for the future, which didn’t happen.
Nevertheless, Avishka Fernando could not translate his promise in the shortest format, making scores of 0 and 6 in the first two T20Is. But the Wadduwa-born cricketer has an excellent record in ODIs as he has 653 runs in 18 games at 36.27, with a strike rate of 96.59.
“Avishka Fernando has sustained an injury to his right quadriceps (Grade 2 Tear). Fernando suffered this injury while fielding during the 2nd T20i played against England at Cardiff,” tweeted the official handle of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
This injury comes as a major setback for Avishka Fernando as the tour of England was his first with the national team since the COVID-19 pandemic started. He had earlier missed the tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh on fitness grounds. Sri Lanka went on to lose the three-match T20I series against England.
England Clean Sweep T20I Series 3-0
In the 3rd T20I, Dawid Malan fired a sensational fifty before David Willey picked three wickets to help England defeat Sri Lanka by 89 runs.
The visitors failed to win a single match, and as a result, England recorded a series sweep. England and Sri Lanka will now lock horns in the three-match ODI series, beginning Tuesday at Chester-le-Street.