Lasith Malinga named in T20I squad to face Australia
Lasith Malinga makes a comeback to the international side after being named in the 15-member squad for the T20I matches against Australia. This was announced by the chairman of Sri Lankan cricket on the 9th of February.
Malinga had earlier picked up a knee injury and this forced him to miss the World T20 in India and also the Indian Premier League. He was also not a part of the squad for the limited-overs series against South Africa after suffering from dengue. His last game was against the United Arab Emirates in 2016 in the Asia Cup.
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This is the first time the speedster has been part of the squad since the time he withdrew from the 2016 World T20. If Malinga plays in the first T20I, it will be his first international match in nearly a year.
Upul Tharanga will continue to lead the team in the absence of Angelo Mathews, with the latter being ruled out due to a knee injury. Dinesh Chandimal, who was dropped for the one-day internationals against South Africa due to his poor form, has been left out too.
The right-handed batsman, Chamara Kapugedara has also been named in the squad. Vikram Sanjaya, the uncapped bowler finds a spot as well. Dasun Shanaka, a confident middle-order batsman, will also be a part of the squad. Shanaka last played in a T20 in England last year.
Meanwhile, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thikshila de Silva and Suranga Lakmal were left out of the squad. There is still no place for the wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera or legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay.
Sri Lanka will begin their campaign in Melbourne on 17th of February before heading out to Geelong and then Adelaide.
Full Squad: Upul Tharanga (c), Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunarathna, Dilshan Munaweera, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardena, Sachith Pathirana, Chamara Kapugedara, Seekuge Prassanna, Nuwan Kulaskera, Isuru Udana, Dasun Shanaka, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Malinga, Vikum Sanjaya.