IND vs SL: Wanindu Hasaranga yet to recover from Covid-19, ruled out of T20I series

Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the upcoming India series comprising of three T20Is and two Tests as he is yet to recover from Covid-19 after contracting the virus during his team’s tour of Australia earlier this month. In the latest round of RT-PCR testing, he has returned a positive result.

Hasaranga was one of the three members of the visiting Sri Lanka team in Australia to test positive following the cases of Kusal Mendis and Binura Fernando, and did not play more than two fixtures of the five-match series, which Sri Lanka lost 1-4. He returned with figures of 3/38 and 2/33 in those games.

Sri Lanka are to play three T20Is against India followed by two red-ball games, starting with the first T20I at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium on February 24. The next two fixtures will be held in Dharmshala on consecutive days (February 26 and 27) before the first Test in Mohali followed by a day-night Test in Bengaluru.

The visitors named an 18-member squad on February 21 that had a maiden call-up for off-spinner Ashian Daniel. Hasaranga’s exit on account of Covid-19 only waters Sri Lanka further down as they do not have the services of Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando (knee injury), Ramesh Mendis (thumb injury), Nuwan Thushara (side strain). Also not a part of the squad is Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who could not meet the required fitness standards.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka are not alone in missing out on players as India have been dealt a couple of blows as well, with Deepak Chahar and Suryakumar Yadav ruled out of the series. Chahar tore his hamstring during the third and final T20I in Kolkata against West Indies when he bowled only 11 balls before hobbling off the field. Yadav, the Player of the Series, stood ruled out after suffering a hairline fracture on his hand.

Given the short window for the T20I series, neither of the teams are expected to name replacement players owing to the bio-security protocols.