Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara will travel to Australia for the T20 World Cup in a squad largely unchanged from the island nation’s surprise Asia Cup win, selectors said on Friday.
Matheesha Pathirana, who debuted last month at the Dubai competition, and Asitha Fernando were dropped from the 15-man squad to make room for the more seasoned duo.
Chameera and Kumara will play subject to fitness as both are recovering from injuries, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.
Chandimal in reserve list
Ashen Bandara and Praveen Jayawickrama will travel to Australia on standby for the tournament, which starts on October 16.
Meanwhile, the veteran middle-order batter Dinesh Chandimal, who made a return to the T20I squad in the Asia Cup, only finds a place in the standby players.
The impressive left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka retains his place in the squad after a great outing in UAE in the multi-nation tournament. Dhananjaya de Silva and Jeffrey Vandersay retain their places after coming in for the Asia Cup.
They bounced back from an embarrassing opening defeat by Afghanistan to win the tournament on Sunday with a 23-run win over Pakistan.
Squad:
Dasun Shanaka (captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan.
