Sri Lanka have announced their squad for the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan, with Kusal Mendis returning as captain after missing the recent tour of England due to a hamstring injury. Mendis will take over the leadership duties from Charith Asalanka, who captained the side during the England series.
Sri Lanka endured a difficult T20I tour of England, suffering a 3-0 series defeat. The selectors have now made six changes to the squad for the Pakistan series, with Mendis among the players returning to the setup. The three-match series will be played in Rawalpindi on October 9, 11 and 13.
Kusal Mendis returns as Sri Lanka captain
Mendis missed the England tour after suffering a hamstring injury but has now recovered and been included in the squad for the Pakistan T20Is. His return also means that Asalanka will move out of the captaincy role after leading Sri Lanka in Mendis’ absence. Sri Lanka will, however, remain without Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga, both of whom have been ruled out because of injuries.
Hasaranga suffered lower-back pain during a training session ahead of the first ODI against England and subsequently returned home. Dushmantha Chameera has also been included with an asterisk, with his participation subject to his fitness.
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Sahan Arachchige earns recall after strong LPL season
Sahan Arachchige is among the players earning a place in the T20I squad after an impressive campaign in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The middle-order batter scored 240 runs at an average of 34.27 and a strike rate of 147.23 during the tournament. Sri Lanka have also handed a T20I call-up to 21-year-old top-order batter Sineth Jayawardena. Although he has yet to feature in the LPL, Jayawardena impressed in domestic cricket last month by recording centuries in both List A and T20 cricket.
Chamindu Wickramasinghe has also returned to the squad. The all-rounder made his T20I debut against India in 2024 and has played only three matches at the international level so far. Spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has also been added to the squad. The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, 11 and 13.
Sri Lanka T20I Squad: Kusal Mendis (c), Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera
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