Sri Lanka leg-spin all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against India as he has tested positive for Covid-19 once again, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Wedneday.
Notably, 24-year-old Hasaranga had earlier returned positive for Covid-19 during Sri Lanka’s recent five-match T20I series against Australia following which he was forced to miss the last three matches on the tour.
“Wanindu Hasaranga, who was in isolation after contracting Covid-19, has once again, returned a positive result when a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) was conducted on the player yesterday (22nd February). A PCR test too confirmed the result,” said a statement from SLC.
“He was first found to be positive during a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on the 15th February 2022. The player was transferred to Melbourne from Canberra and will remain in isolation until he returns a negative PCR Test Report,” further said the statement.
Notably, Hasaranga was last seen in action in the first two T20Is against Australia where he had emerged with figure of 3/38 and 2/33 with the ball beside contributing with 13 with the bat in both the affairs before being tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, hosts India also suffered a double blow before the series as its white-ball specialists Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar have been reportedely ruled out.
While Chahar endured a hamstring injury in the third and last T20I against West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (Februray 20), Suryakumar suffered a hairline fracture on his hand in the same game.
As per reports, Chahar will now complete his rehab at National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
Notably, after packing back the Windies openers cheaply in the run chase on Sunday, Chahar walked off the field holding his hamstring and didn’t completed his second over. The pacer was in his delivery stride when it appeared that he had pulled up a muscle in his right leg following which he stopped in his delivery stride.
Chahar then sat on the ground after which the physio rushed to the ground however, the damage was already done and the pacer was forced to miss the remaining part of the match.
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 just around the corner, it remains to be seen whether Chahar will be fit or not for the lucrative league, which is likley to kick-off in the last week of March.
Despite Chahar being ruled out of the three-match series, the Indian team management hasn’t sought any replacement as they have experienced Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in their ranks apart from Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel in their squad for the series against the islanders.
On the other hand, a report in Cricbuzz said that although Suryakumar attended the practice session ahead of the series at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, he has now been declared unfit for the home assignment.
The report further suggested that the 31-year-old batter suffered the injury during the third T20I against Windies during fielding in Kolkata on Sunday, which the hosts won by 17 runs.
Reports further suggested that due to the present bio-bubble protocols, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might not announce any replacements for the duo as the Men In Blue have enough backup options in their squad for the three-match series against the islanders.
India is scheduled to take on Sri Lanka in the first affair in Lucknow on Thursday while the next two T20Is will be played in Dharamsala on February 26 and 27.
After the completion of the white-ball series, the two sides will meet in a two-match Test series, beginning March 4 at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. The second and final Test will then be held at the historic M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru from March 12.