Dimuth Karunaratne will lead the 15-member Sri Lankan side in the three-match home ODI series against West Indies, Sri Lanka Cricket have announced. Danushka Gunathilake will miss out because of a back injury while Thisara Perera makes a comeback, reports Cricbuzz.
Gunathilaka's place went to Shehan Jayasuriya with Niroshan Dickwella, who last played an ODI in March last year, also making a return. Dickwella is struggling with fever and is expected to miss the first ODI. Kusal Perera will keep wickets in case Dickwella isn’t fit in time for the clash on February 22.
"Danushka has a back injury and has been ruled out of the West Indies series. He is under treatment and may require surgery," team manager and chief selector Ashantha de Mel had said earlier. "Niroshan's case is not all that serious and we have retained him in the ODI squad and hope to play him in the second match onwards."
Oshada Fernando too is out of the side after he suffered a hand injury that ruled him out of the warm-up clash as well. Isuru Udana is retained in the squad after making a full recovery from the back injury he sustained in India. The allrounder was forced to miss the third T20I against India in Pune after he picked up the injury during the second game in Indore.
After the first match in Colombo, the two teams will travel to Hambantota and Pallekele for the remaining two ODIs. The succeeding two-match T20I series will be played in Pallekele on March 4 and 6 respectively.
Squad: Dimith Karunaratne (C), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara.