Sri Lanka's bid to secure a spot in the semifinals of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup has encountered a setback as their in-form fast bowler, Lahiru Kumara, has been sidelined for the remainder of the tournament due to a left thigh muscle injury. Kumara hurt his left thigh during training in Pune ahead of Sri Lanka's crucial clash against Afghanistan here at MCA International Stadium on Monday and has been replaced in the squad by fellow pacer Dushmantha Chameera. ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan Captain Babar Azam Picks Two Indian Cricketers Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in His List of Favourite Batters.

Sri Lanka Cricket Official Tweet

Chameera's inclusion was approved by the Event Technical Committee on Sunday. "The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has approved Dushmantha Chameera as a replacement for Lahiru Kumara in the Sri Lanka squad," the ICC said in a release.

Although Chameera, who has played 44 ODIs, boasts extensive experience with over 100 appearances for Sri Lanka, Kumara's absence will be noticeable, particularly as he played a significant role in their surprising triumph over England in Bengaluru last Thursday, where he was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his 3-35, helping Sri Lanka win by 8 wickets.

Kumara's injury marks the third injury setback for Sri Lanka, with skipper Dasun Shanaka (quad) and Matheesha Pathirana (shoulder) already sidelined due to their respective injuries. Sri Lanka currently have two wins from five matches the World Cup and sit in fifth place on the standings with four group matches remaining. IND vs ENG ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Virat Kohli Names ‘Reverse Slap’ Shot He Wants To Borrow From England Batter Joe Root.

Sri Lanka squad: Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Angelo Mathews, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 29, 2023 02:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).