Sri Lanka’s left-handed batter Kusal Perera walked off the field after picking an injury during the warm-up match against Bangladesh in Guwahati on Friday.
Perera was forced to end his innings after picking up an injury during Sri Lanka’s batting. The 33-year-old was batting at 34 off 26 when his shoulder started to bother him after which he had to leave the pitch to see the team’s physiotherapist in the 10th over of the game.
It was important for Perera to play today’s encounter to get in rhythm for the World Cup as he had only played two One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2023.
Sri Lanka — who already facing multiple injuries as Wanindu Hasaranga, one of their most important players, missed out on their mega event’s squad following a hamstring tear — might have taken Perera out as a precautionary measure to avoid losing the 33-year-old for the entire World Cup.
It must be noted that Perera was the top-scorer for Sri Lanka in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup with 273 runs in seven games with a decent average of 39.
The Islanders will surely count on the 33-year-old not just because of how good of a batter he is, but also due to the experience he has in international cricket.
Sri Lanka posted 263 runs on the scoreboard after opting to bat first and by the time this story was filed, Bangladesh were batting at 129-0 in 20 overs.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will take place in India with 10 teams fighting for the elusive title across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final.
Sri Lanka squad for the World Cup 2023:
Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis (vc), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka
