Sri Lanka Without Mendis, Fernando for England T20Is

Sri Lanka have suffered two injury setbacks ahead of their upcoming T20I series against England, with captain Kusal Mendis and fast bowler Binura Fernando ruled out of the tour.

Both players were initially included in Sri Lanka’s 16-member squad but have now been withdrawn after Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that they are still undergoing rehabilitation from injuries suffered during the 2026 Lanka Premier League.

Mendis has been sidelined since July 19 with a right hamstring injury and has not played competitive cricket since then. Although he has been ruled out of the T20I series, he has not yet been ruled out of the subsequent ODI series against England. If Mendis is unable to recover in time for the ODIs, Charith Asalanka could also take over the captaincy in that format.

Binura Fernando, meanwhile, has been unavailable since August 5 because of a back injury. His continued recovery means he will miss the T20I leg of the England tour.

Asalanka to Lead Sri Lanka

With Mendis unavailable, Charith Asalanka has been handed the T20I captaincy. He had recently returned to Sri Lanka's leadership group after previously losing the ODI captaincy and being left out of the T20I setup.

Asalanka is currently playing for St Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League. However, his form in the tournament has been modest, with 93 runs from six innings at a strike rate of 124.

Despite that, his experience and return to the national setup have made him the natural choice to lead the side in Mendis' absence.

Two Players Added to the Squad

Sri Lanka have brought in Pavan Rathnayake as Mendis' replacement. The 24-year-old top-order batter has been added to the T20I touring party and will provide another batting option for the team.

Fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka has also been drafted into the squad in place of Binura Fernando. Madushanka was recently part of Sri Lanka's squad for the Test series against India but did not feature in any of the matches.

The changes leave Sri Lanka with a squad featuring experienced names such as Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera.

England Series Schedule

The three-match T20I series will begin on September 15 in Southampton, followed by matches in Cardiff on September 17 and Manchester on September 19.

The teams will then play a three-match ODI series, beginning in Chester-le-Street on September 22, followed by matches in Leeds on September 24 and The Oval on September 27.

Sri Lanka will now hope that Mendis can recover in time for the ODI series, while Asalanka faces the immediate task of leading the team in the T20Is.

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