Sadeera and Avishka back for India tour

By Amindha de Alwis

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has named a 20-member squad for their limited overs tour of India which begins on January 3. 

The team will play three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour, with just two changes in personnel between the formats. 

The ODI series is not a part of the Cricket World Cup Super League and thus will not have any effect on Sri Lanka’s chances of securing direct qualification to the 2023 World Cup
Dasun Shanaka will continue to lead the side and will have two new vice-captains in Wanindu Hasaranga for the T20Is, and Kusal Mendis for the 50-over format. 

Top-order batters Sadeera Samarawickrama and Avishka Fernando have both found places in the squad after a lengthy hiatus. 

Fernando was out of action for the majority of this year after having surgery performed on his knee in February. The right-hander’s strong ODI record should earn him a place in the starting XI, though it remains to be seen if he slots straight back into the T20I side. 

Samarawickrama on the other hand has played just two games for his country since 2019 but makes a return through good domestic form. 

Both batters enjoyed a fruitful Lanka Prmeier League playing for Jaffna Kings, with Samarawickrama being named the Player of the Tournament and Fernando ending up as the highest run-scorer and Man of the Final. 

Chamika Karunaratne who was omitted from Sri Lanka’s recent series with Afghanistan is also back in the squad. 

Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Nuwan Thushara have been named in the T20I squad but will make way for Nuwanidu Fernando and Jeffrey Vandersay for the ODI leg.

Former Under-19 skipper Dunith Wellalage , who is yet to make his debut in the shortest format, has been named in both squads, as have Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan and Ashen Bandara. 

The Squad:

Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Kasun Rajitha, Dunith Wellalage, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara (T20I), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (T20I), Jeffrey Vandersay (ODI) and Nuwanidu Fernando (ODI)

Tour Itinerary:

January 3: 1st T20I in Mumbai
January 5: 2nd T20I in Pune
January 7: 3rd T20I in Rajkot
January 10: 1st ODI in Guwahati
January 12: 2nd ODI in Kolkata
January 15: 3rd ODI in Thiruvananthapuram