Madushanka replaces Chameera in Sri Lanka squad for World Cup Qualifiers

Sri Lanka suffered a massive blow to their ongoing World Cup Qualifiers campaign as Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury. 

The 31-year-old featured in the two warm-up games prior to the competition and since then has been nursing an injury. While the team management was hopeful of his participation in the competition, Chameera will take a longer time to recover and have opted for Dilshan Madushanka as his replacement. 

🚨 Player Update #CWC23

Dushmantha Chameera is still recovering from a right pectoral muscle injury he sustained on the right shoulder while practicing ahead of Sri Lanka's first game of the group stage of the qualifiers.
Accordingly, the bowler will not be available for… pic.twitter.com/oAwk8qZoNC

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) June 29, 2023

The 31-year-old will now return home to focus on his rehabilitation and aim to come back onto the field in the coming months. This is the second setback for the seamer after he missed the T20 World Cup in Australia last year due to a calf injury. 

Madhshanka has featured in only two ODI games thus far but will add the left-arm pace bowling variety to the Sri Lankan squad as they gear up for the Super Six stage.

Sri Lanka have recorded four wins in four games and are the firm favourites to qualify for the World Cup scheduled to take place in India later this year. 

They will lock horns against the Netherlands on Friday, followed by Zimbabwe and West Indies on July 2 and 7, respectively.