Sri Lanka likely to rest Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews among others for T20Is vs India

Sri Lanka are likely to announce their squad for the Asia Cup as well as the ICC World T20 2016, both of which are likely to be the same.

Sri Lanka are likely to pick an under-strength squad for their upcoming tour of India, in which they will be playing a three-match Twenty2- International (T20I) series. The Sri Lankan national selectors are likely to take the decision keeping in mind the bigger tournaments that are to follow in the Asia Cup and the ICC World T20 2016. Among the major players to miss out on the T20I series will be skipper Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath and Nuwan Pradeep. A majority of the squad will be expected to be picked from among the top performers in the ongoing Super T20 Provincial Tournament, Sri Lanka’s premier domestic T20 competition. READ: Schedule and venues for India vs Sri Lanka 2016, 3 T20I series announced

According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, Dinesh Chandimal, who led the side in Malinga’s absence in the recently-concluded T20I series against New Zealand, will be expected to retain the role in the tour of India. Malinga is yet to recover fully from the knee injury that forced him out of the tour of New Zealand, and is reported to require another atleast another fortnight to become fit. Malinga’s whose last international appearance was during the second and final T20I against West Indies at home in November.

Test and One-Day International (ODI) skipper Mathews is currently recovering from a groin injury, while Herath and Pradeep have been afflicted with a pulled side muscle as well as a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have given a hint of finalising a provisional squad for the ICC World T20 before February 1, which is expected to be the same as that for the Asia Cup.

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