Dickwella and de Silva added to depleted Sri Lankan squad

Available for the two T-20Is and Test matches

By Bipin Dani

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) added two more players to the squad for the T20Is against India, it is learnt. 
According to sources, the selectors have picked 28-year-old wicketkeeper batter Niroshan Dickwella and the 30-year-old all rounder Dhananjaya de Silva as cover in the depleted Sri Lanka T20I squad in India. 

“Both players have reached Lucknow on Thursday morning. They are quarantined for two days in the hotel (same hotel where both the teams are staying),” the source added. 

Dickwella and de Silva were not required to go to the ground for the first T20I as they are not available for the first match but will be considered for the selection for the remaining two T20Is to be played at Dharamshala on February 26 and 27. 

They will also be part of the two Test matches to be played in Mohali (March 4-8) and Bangalore (March 12-16).   
 Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s 24-year-old batter Avishka Fernando may be out of competitive cricket for about nine months, according to Dr. David Young, who performed a surgery on his right knee on Tuesday.

The surgery was performed at The Avenue Hospital in Melbourne.

Dr. Young is familiar among cricketers and has treated Lasith Malinga, Shoaib Akhtar and many other international players.

“Avishka tore the anterior cruciate in his right knee in a training mishap on 17 February at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). He had an anterior cruciate reconstruction”, Dr. Young said.

“He is expected to return to cricket training in six months and when performing well will return to competitive play probably in nine months.”

“The surgery lasted over two hours,” he added.

“The cricketer has been discharged from the hospital and will stay in Australia for a few more days. Dr. Young will see him again after a period of two weeks,” another source in the hospital further added.