SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera, renowned as the country’s leading fast bowler, has stepped into the main 15-man squad for the ICC World Cup. He was brought in as a replacement on Sunday after paceman Lahiru Kumara suffered a thigh injury during a practice session in Pune, India.
The ICC’s Event Technical Committee approved Chameera’s inclusion, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s lineup with their key wicket-taking bowler, especially in the initial overs of matches.
Kumara’s unfortunate injury occurred in Saturday’s training session, just before the upcoming game against Afghanistan scheduled for Monday. With Chameera’s inclusion, Sri Lanka’s pace attack gains strength, setting them up for the crucial upcoming four matches in the League stage.
Chameera is set to play against Afghanistan on Monday, and it’s noteworthy that his last match for Sri Lanka was against the same opponent back in June at Hambantota. During that game, he took four wickets for 63 runs, contributing significantly as Sri Lanka dismissed Afghanistan for 116 runs, ultimately winning the match by nine wickets.
Although Chameera made his One Day International debut in 2015, his participation has often been interrupted due to recurring injuries. Nevertheless, in his recent match, Chameera achieved a milestone by claiming his 50th ODI wicket in just 44 matches, boasting his best figures of 5/16 against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2021.
The addition of Chameera presents an exciting opportunity for a potent bowling combination alongside left-arm bowler Dilshan Madushanka. Injuries have previously prevented these two players from operating together, but now, their joint presence in the upcoming games could significantly bolster Sri Lanka’s bowling attack.
Sri Lanka ICC World Cup Squad: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (captain & wk), 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Kusal Perera, 6 Charith Asalanka, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan Madushanka, 12 Dushan Hemantha, 13 Chamika Karunaratne, 14 Dunith Wellalage, 15 Dimuth Karunaratne.
