Pathum Nissanka ruled out as Sri Lanka announce squad for T20I series against Bangladesh

The Sri Lanka Cricket announced the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh on Wednesday. The star opener Pathum Nissanka misses out on the Bangladesh tour due to an injury as the management retains the majority of the team that defeated Afghanistan 2-1 this month.

Captain Wanindu Hasaranga is set to miss the first two games due to recent ICC suspension. The star batter and deputy skipper Charith Asalanka will take the leadership duties in the first two games starting on March 4. 

Jeffrey Vandersay is a surprise inclusion in the team as the veteran spinner last played a T20I in February 2022. The 34-year-old legspinner featured in two ODIs against Zimbabwe last month where he picked two wickets in an innings. Vandersay is likely to feature in the playing eleven in the absence of Hasaranga in the first two games in the upcoming series.

Avishka Fernando comes in for injured Nissanka after being ignored for the recent Afghanistan T20Is. Avishka smashed two big fifties in ODIs against Afghanistani but holds poor numbers in the shortest format of the game. Avishka has scored just 337 runs in 31 T20I innings at an average of 11.62 and a strike rate of 94.13. 

Sri Lanka T20I squad: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka (vc), Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Janith Perera, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Akila Dananjaya, Binura Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay.

Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the three T20I matches on March 4, 6 and 9 and then both teams will clash in the ODIs at Chattogram starting on March 13. 

Bangladesh T20I squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Litton Das, Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Tawhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Aliss Al Islam