Sri Lanka captain Kusal Perera sprained his shoulder in training and will miss a one-day series against India starting Sunday, cricket authorities said.
The wicketkeeper-batsman will miss three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches after, Sri Lanka Cricket said Friday. Fast bowler Binura Fernando was also injured during practice on Thursday and will miss the 50 over games, the board added. Perera, 30, had already been under pressure even before his injury because of Sri Lanka’s poor performances, and was tipped to be replaced as captain by all-rounder Dasun Shanaka.
Sri Lanka’s preparations have already been disrupted by the positive Covid-19 test by batting coach Grant Flower after the team returned from matches in England. Three Sri Lankan players, including vice-captain Kusal Mendis, were sent home early after they left the team’s bio-secure hotel for a night out ahead of the first one-day international. The three players and Flower face an investigation into allegations that they breached the Covid-19 restrictions in England.
The India matches were delayed by five days to July 18 following the positive tests by the coach and a team data analyst.