Kusal Perera, Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batsman, and fast bowler Binura Fernando have been ruled out of the upcoming ODI white-ball assignment against India. The Shikhar Dhawan-led Team India will lock horns with hosts Sri Lanka in a series of three ODIs and as many T20Is from July 18. The ODI series will get underway from 18th July in Colombo and both Kusal Perera and Binura Fernando have been ruled out of the rubber due to their respective injuries.
Kusal Perera Will Miss Both ODI And T20I Series While Binura Fernando May Get Fit In Time Before The T20I Series
While Kusal Perera will miss both the ODI and T20I series against Team India, Binura Fernando is likely to get fit in time before the three-match T20I series gets underway from July 25. Sri Lankan Cricket confirmed the development via an official press release on Friday [July 16]. The press release stated that Kusal Perera suffered a sprain in his right shoulder during training, thus ruling him out of both the ODI and T20I assignments.
‘’Kusal Janith Perera will not be able to take part in the ODI and the T20I series against India owing to an injury. The Wicket-Keeper Batsman suffered a right shoulder sprain during training,’’ said SLC via an official press release.
Kusal Perera is almost certain to be out of Sri Lanka’s series against India, after picking up a shoulder injury. The team has not divulged the exact nature of the injury, nor withdrawn him officially, but a team doctor says he’s likely to be out for six weeks.
Although Kusal Perera is no longer captain, having been replaced in that role by Dasun Shanaka following the contracts standoff between the players and the board, he remains one of Sri Lanka’s key batters in the top order.
He is, in addition, the team’s primary wicketkeeping option, with Niroshan Dickwella still suspended over his breach of the team bio-bubble, in Durham. Kusal Perera’s probable absence, as well as that of Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, and Danushka Gunathilaka (all of whom bat in the top five) means that Sri Lanka will only have what is essentially a second-string top order.
Binura Fernando Sprained His Left Ankle
As far as Binura Fernando is concerned, the SLC informed that the fast bowler sprained his left ankle during a practice session on Thursday [July 15]. The sprain was later confirmed as a lateral ligament sprain, thereby ruling the pacer out of the ODI series.
‘’Fast Bowler Binura Fernando sprained his left ankle during a practice session held yesterday (15th July, 2021). It’s a lateral ligament sprain. Fernando will be unavailable for the ODI series of the India Tour of Sri Lanka,’’ said the SLC press release.
Fast bowler Binura Fernando, who made his ODI debut in Bangladesh in May, has also sustained an injury – a lateral ligament sprain to his left ankle – during a training session on Thursday (July 15) and will miss the ODI series, starting on July 18. Sri Lanka is yet to name the full squad for the six white-ball fixtures.