Sri Lanka Awaits Wanindu Hasaranga’s Fitness Update for World Cup

Sri Lanka is keeping a hopeful stance regarding the participation of star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, despite his ongoing battle with a hamstring injury sustained during the Lankan Premier League playoffs last month.

Having missed Sri Lanka’s recent Asia Cup campaign due to the injury, Hasaranga’s fitness remains uncertain. With the World Cup opener against South Africa scheduled for October 7, time is dwindling for him to prove his fitness, but Sri Lanka is exploring all options to include him in the 50-over tournament.

Head of the Sri Lanka medical panel, Arjuna de Silva, revealed, “We are consulting foreign doctors to see whether he needs surgery or not. If he does, he will be out for at least three months. At the moment, the situation is not that great and it’s highly unlikely if he can play the World Cup.”

De Silva further added, “Since he is a key weapon in our attack, we are looking at other options to see how best we can get his services at least for important games. All that depends on the opinions of the consultant to whom we are trying to show his reports.”

Hasaranga’s absence from the World Cup would significantly impact Sri Lanka’s bowling strength, considering his outstanding performances in recent international tournaments. He emerged as the top wicket-taker in the last two ICC Men’s T20 World Cup editions and dominated the wicket charts during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier earlier this year.

With the September 28 deadline approaching for the final squad submission to the ICC, Sri Lanka, along with Bangladesh, remains one of the two teams yet to announce their 15-player squad for the upcoming World Cup. The uncertainty surrounding Hasaranga’s fitness further complicates Sri Lanka’s decision-making process regarding their final team selection.