NEW DELHI: The Sri Lankan cricket team has suffered a setback as their premier spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand due to a hamstring injury. The injury occurred during the second T20I against New Zealand.
The spinner, who leads Sri Lanka's wicket-taking charts in T20Is, sustained the injury during Sunday's match in Dambulla. Sri Lanka Cricket has announced Dushan Hemantha, who has five ODI caps, as his replacement for the series.
Despite the injury, the 27-year-old claimed six wickets across the two T20Is, including an impressive four-wicket haul on Sunday, earning him the Player of the Series accolade. Although he helped restrict New Zealand to 108, the visitors managed a narrow five-run victory to level the series 1-1.
Post-match, Hasaranga stated, "Finally, I can have a few weeks' break after this match. I think it is bad. I wanted to bowl my four overs to cut down their total. I can't run, so I tried to maximise (while batting) but I got out."
This isn't the first time the leg-spinner has faced injury concerns, having previously injured the same hamstring during the India series in August.
The upcoming series has now lost two players to injuries. New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson, who claimed a hat-trick in the second T20I, will also be absent due to a calf injury. The Kiwis have brought in experienced bowler Adam Milne as Ferguson's replacement.
The ODI series between the two nations commences on November 13.
