Nidahas Trophy: Sri Lanka announce 20-member preliminary squad

Sri Lanka have announced a 20-member preliminary squad for the upcoming T20 International series against India and Bangladesh at home. The selectors have left out Lasith Malinga from their plans for the tournament despite impressive performances at the domestic level. Dinesh Chandimal will continue to lead the side as the regular skipper Angelo Mathews was ruled out due to calf injury earlier in the day. However, the squad will be tripped to 15 ahead of the Nidahas Trophy which will commence on March 6.

The domestic T20 competition of Sri Lanka began on February 24 and the veteran Malinga featured in all the three games ahead of the selection and also picked as many as 10 wickets. Moreover, he returned with the figures of 3/24 while playing against Burgher Recreation Club on Tuesday only to be overlooked by the national selectors.

We want him to play more games

The Chairman of selectors Graham Labrooy cleared the buzz around Malinga’s selection by saying that they want him to play more domestic games. “He is certainly in our plans for 2019 World Cup, but we want him to play more games. We want him to play the current T20 competition and then the one-day tournament after that,” he told Cricbuzz.

Sri Lanka were hopeful of their gun player Angelo Mathews to get fit in time for the tri-series but sustained a fresh calf injury while going through an intense rehabilitation process. As the team did well under the captaincy of Chandimal in Bangladesh, he will lead the side in Mathews’ absence. Young talent Sadeera Samarwickrama who was dropped after poor series against India has also been picked in the preliminary squad.

The likes of Lahiru Kumara, Kusal Janith Perera, Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera who picked up injuries during Bangladesh tour have been included in the squad as of now.

The Nidahas Trophy will get underway on March 6 with the hosts facing the Indian team who have rested a lot of their first-choice players for the tournament.

Sri Lanka’s preliminary T20 squad: Dinesh Chandimal (Captain), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Jeewan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Akila Dananjaya, Amila Aponso, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera and Dananjaya De Silva

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