Due to a respiratory ailment, Perera will not be participating in the forthcoming series.
Niroshan Dickwella has been selected by the Sri Lanka Cricket selectors to take Kusal Perera’s place in the next Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh. The series is scheduled to start in Sylhet on Monday, March 4. Interestingly, the 33-year-old has been ruled out of the forthcoming series due to a respiratory virus.
Notably, the Lankan Lions have already left for Bangladesh and are probably going to be present at the BPL championship game in Dhaka on March 1. Due to Pathum Nissanka’s withdrawal from the forthcoming series, Dickwella is expected to open alongside Kusal Mendis when he joins the team on March 2.
Mendis can drop to No. 3 if the team management choose to bat with Avishka Fernando as one of the openers. Sadeera Samarawickrama will bat at No. 4, followed by Charith Asalanka at No. 5.
There is fierce rivalry for the sixth and seventh spots right now, so they have a wide range of finishers to pick from. In the Afghanistan series, Kamindu Mendis performed exceptionally well in the last Twenty20 International, increasing pressure on the team management despite Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka appearing to be the favorites. In addition, they have Dhananjaya de Silva and Akila Dananjaya as options.
The bowling unit will be led by Dilshan Madushanka, who has the backing of Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesa Pathirana. Their goal is to complete the task in front of the June 1 start of the T20 World Cup, and they will project themselves as a cohesive team. Given that this is their final game before the major event, the team management will be closely monitoring a few players who are not expected to play in the forthcoming Indian Premier League.
The hosts, on the other hand, will not have former captain Shakib Al Hasan available. Bangladesh would prioritize the series while keeping the T20 World Cup in mind, just like Sri Lanka would.
