Dushmantha Chameera Ruled Out of India Series Due to Injury

Sri Lanka's fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera is out of the upcoming white-ball series against India due to an injury. A replacement will be named soon by Sri Lanka Cricket. Chameera, plagued by injuries, has missed multiple major events, including the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka's fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of the white-ball home series against India due to an injury, as confirmed by chief selector Upul Tharanga on Wednesday.

A replacement will be announced shortly by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). ''We received the reports yesterday, and it's confirmed that he will miss both the T20Is and ODIs against India,'' Tharanga stated during a press briefing attended by newly appointed interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya.

Chameera, who debuted internationally in 2015, has a history of injuries. So far, he has played 12 Tests, 52 ODIs, and 55 T20 matches, taking 32, 56, and 55 wickets, respectively. He last missed matches for Kandy Falcons in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL), though the timing of his current injury remains unclear.

Chameera has missed significant events like the 2022 Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup in Australia due to a calf injury. In the Asia Cup 2023, he was sidelined by a shoulder injury and wasn't initially picked for last year's ODI World Cup. He joined as a replacement after Matheesha Pathirana's injury.

Earlier this year, Chameera missed the home series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh due to a quadriceps injury. Although he was part of the squad for the recently-held T20 World Cup in the Americas, he didn't play any match.

This series will also mark the first assignment for newly-appointed India head coach Gautam Gambhir. All three T20 matches are set to take place in Pallekele, starting July 27, with subsequent games on July 28 and July 30. The three-match ODI series will be in Colombo on August 2, 4, and 7.

(With inputs from agencies.)