Milinda Siriwardana to replace Kusal Perera in the first two ODIs against Bangladesh

All-rounder Milinda Siriwardana has been included in the Sri Lankan squad as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera for the first two One-Day Internationals against Bangladesh. Kusal injured himself in the warm-up game against Bangladesh on Wednesday in Colombo.

After scoring 64 off 78 deliveries, he was forced to retire. The left-handed batsman suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to return for the third and final ODI at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.”We have added Siriwardene into the squad in place of Kusal,” Sri Lanka’s Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya told Cricbuzz.

Siriwardana was the captain of the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI and scored 32 off 29 deliveries. They won the game by two runs after putting 354 runs on the board batting first. Kusal, on the other hand, was dropped for the five-match ODI series against South Africa owing to poor form but was seen back in form during the home one-day series against England Lions.

After a disappointing loss to Bangladesh in the second Tests, Sri Lanka which resulted in the series ending at levels they will want to bounce back for the ODI series.

The visitors on Sunday won the second Test by four wickets to secure their first win over the island country after failing 18 times. Interestingly, Bangladesh’s win was in their 100th Test as they marked the historic occasion with their first win over Sri Lanka in the island country.

The loss was considered humiliating and one of the Sri Lankan newspapers declared Sri Lankan team dead after that loss. The paper carried a notice saying: “In affectionate remembrance of Sri Lankan cricket which died at the Oval on 19, March 2017.

“The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Bangladesh,” read the notice.

The first ODI between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka gets underway on Saturday (March 25).