Sri Lanka’s pacer Binura Fernando will miss the first T20I against India, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed on Friday July 26. The left arm bowler is in the hospital due to a chest infection. Recent reports from Sri Lanka mentioned that Fernando had the flu and his chances of playing were very slim. SLC has now confirmed he was admitted to the hospital.

Sri Lanka has added spin-bowling allrounder Ramesh Mendis to the squad as a backup. Mendis has played two T20Is, both in 2021, and last appeared for Sri Lanka in a 2023 Test against Pakistan.

Ramesh Mendis added as backup player

“Binura Fernando has been hospitalized as the player is suffering from a chest infection. Ramesh Mendis has been brought into the squad as a standby player,” stated SLC.

Losing Binura Fernando is a significant setback for Sri Lanka. He was in excellent form during the Lanka Premier League this month, taking 13 wickets and maintaining a strong economy rate of 6.81.

Charith Asalanka takes over as T20 captain

The series against India will be a fresh start for Sri Lanka in T20Is. A new captain, Charith Asalanka, will lead the team. He recently replaced Wanindu Hasaranga, who stepped down this month after Sri Lanka’s poor performance at the T20 World Cup.

This series is a chance for Sri Lanka to recover from their disappointing World Cup campaign, where they were eliminated in the group stage. They will be eager to perform well against India.