In light of Chameera’s absence, the cricket board has called up Asitha Fernando to replace him in the squad.Fernando, also a pacer, will step in to fill the void left by Chameera’s unavailability.
“Dushmantha Chameera is still recovering from a bronchitis and respiratory infection he contracted, and hence will not be part of the T20I series,” Sri Lanka Cricket tweeted.
“Asitha Fernando joins the squad in place of Chameera.”
Earlier today, Upul Tharanga, the chief selector of Sri Lanka, “confirmed” that Chameera will not participate in the upcoming six-match series, which consists of three T20Is and three ODIs.
“Yesterday we got the reports, and it can be confirmed that he will miss the T20Is and ODIs against India,” Tharanga said, as quoted by PTI, during a press in which newly appointed interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya was also present.
Asitha, 26, was the pick of the bowlers in the Lanka Premier League final, grabbing three wickets as the Jaffna Kings beat Galle Marvels.
Despite making his debut in 2015 and possessing impressive pace, Chameera’s career has been marred by frequent setbacks.
Throughout his international career, Chameera represented Sri Lanka in 12 Tests, 52 ODIs, and 55 T20 matches, claiming 32, 56, and 55 wickets respectively. His contributions to the national team have been significant, although his appearances have been limited by injuries.
Recently, Chameera missed the last few matches for Kandy Falcons in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The exact timing and nature of his latest injury remain unclear.
Chameera was absent from several significant tournaments, including the 2022 Asia Cup and the following T20 World Cup in Australia, due to a calf injury that prevented his participation.
Furthermore, a shoulder injury forced him to sit out the 2023 Asia Cup, and he was originally omitted from the ODI World Cup squad last year. However, he was later added as a replacement when fellow pacer Matheesha Pathirana sustained an injury.
In addition, a quadriceps injury caused him to miss the home series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh earlier this year.
Although he was included in the squad for the recently-concluded T20 World Cup in the Americas, he did not feature in any of the matches.
Gautam Gambhir, who has recently been appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, will face his inaugural challenge during the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
The T20 portion of the tour will be held entirely in Pallekele, commencing with the first match on July 27. The second and third T20 encounters are slated for July 28 and July 30, respectively.
Following the T20 series, the action will shift to Colombo for a three-match ODI series. The 50-over matches are scheduled to take place on August 2, 4, and 7.