Sri Lanka lose key bowler to injury as replacement drafted in

Experienced fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has failed to recover from a shoulder injury that he sustained prior to the tournament, and will fly home for rehabilitation after losing the race to feature in Zimbabwe.

Dilshan Madushanka will replace Chameera in the squad for the remainder of the Super Six stage.

"Dushmantha Chameera is still recovering from a right pectoral muscle injury he sustained on the right shoulder while practicing ahead of Sri Lanka's first game of the group stage of the qualifiers," tweeted the official Sri Lanka handle.

"Accordingly, the bowler will not be available for selections for the Super Six Round games as well."

Qualifier standings

Chameera has taken 50 ODI wickets for Sri Lanka and played a key role in the team’s white-ball attack over recent years, so his absence is a blow as the Asian side look to secure one of the two qualification spots available in Zimbabwe.

The 31-year-old was named in the original squad, but didn’t bowl in either of the warm-up matches and was left out of the side in Sri Lanka’s first four matches in the hope that he would recover in time for the latter stages.

His replacement Madushanka has played just two ODIs to-date in his fledgling international career, but brings an additional left-arm option to the Sri Lanka squad.

Sri Lanka are the top-ranked side in the Qualifier and lived up to their billing with four straight wins through the group stage to give them a strong chance of reaching the Cricket World Cup later this year.

Updated Sri Lanka Squad

Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis (vc & wk), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dushan Hemantha, Dilshan Madushanka