Sri Lanka has suffered the most from injuries in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup. The losses of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera before the tournament were significant setbacks, and to compound the situation, captain Dasun Shanaka has also been ruled out.
Chamika Karunaratne, an all-rounder who was initially a backup player, has been moved to the main squad due to injuries. To prepare for any more injuries in the tournament, Sri Lanka Cricket decided to bring in experienced all-rounder Angelo Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera as substitutes.
As per information from @RevSportz on X, both players are scheduled to depart from Colombo on Thursday, October 19. Their inclusion in the official squad will be contingent on any additional injuries to the existing players. NewsWire.lk states that their participation also hinges on approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Dushmantha Chameera was initially unavailable for the World Cup due to an injury he suffered during the 2023 Lanka Premier League (LPL). He was absent from the subsequent Asia Cup tournament, and his most recent international match was against Afghanistan during a bilateral series.
Angelo Mathews returned to the ODI squad in early 2023 after a two-year absence. He has played three ODIs since then, scoring 30 runs. However, due to his injury history, if included, he is likely to play only as a batsman, as his last bowling performance in ODIs was in 2020.
Sri Lanka is at the bottom of the table with three consecutive losses
The subcontinent team, having secured their spot in the tournament via the qualifiers, currently occupies the tenth position in the points table after losing all three of their 2023 World Cup matches.
Sri Lanka had a rough start to their campaign, allowing a record-breaking 428 runs against South Africa in Delhi, and then they suffered losses to Pakistan and Australia.
The 2023 Asia Cup runners-up are set to face The Netherlands on Saturday, October 21 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. The Dutch team is currently two places and two points ahead in the table after three matches.
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