In a devastating blow to the injury-plagued Sri Lankan cricket team, talented wrist spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has been sidelined for the remainder of the ODI series against India due to a left hamstring injury. The 34-year-old legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay has been called up as Hasaranga’s replacement for the last two ODIs.
According to a statement released by the Sri Lanka Cricket board, Hasaranga felt pain in his left hamstring while bowling the last ball of his 10th over during the first ODI. An MRI scan confirmed the extent of the injury, forcing him to miss the upcoming matches.
Hasaranga joins a growing list of injured players in the Sri Lankan squad, including Dilshan Madushanka and Matheesha Pathirana who were ruled out before the start of the series, as well as Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara who missed the T20I matches due to various health issues.
The first ODI between Sri Lanka and India ended in a thrilling tie at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo, with Hasaranga playing a crucial role by picking up 3 wickets for 58 runs and contributing with the bat by scoring 24 runs. The second ODI is set to take place at the same venue on Sunday, with Sri Lanka looking to bounce back from Hasaranga’s absence and put up a strong performance against the visitors.