Kusal Mendis Out Of England T20Is As Asalanka Takes Sri Lanka Captaincy

Sri Lanka will begin their England T20Is without Kusal Mendis. The captain has been ruled out of the three-match series with a hamstring injury. Left-arm seamer Binura Fernando misses it too, with a back problem. Pavan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka have been added in their place. Charith Asalanka, named as Mendis' deputy when the squad went out earlier this week, takes over the captaincy. The T20I leg starts at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on September 15.

Sri Lanka named the touring party on Wednesday. Dasun Shanaka was back in it and Lahiru Udara was recalled. Two days later the T20I group has changed again.

Mendis and Fernando ruled out

Mendis picked up the hamstring injury at the Lanka Premier League. Cricket Times reports he sustained it in July while playing for Colombo Kaps, and that the same problem kept him out of the home Test series against India. His rehabilitation has run longer than the board hoped. The ICC reports that he stays in the ODI squad for the back half of the tour. The first of those is on September 22.

Fernando's back injury removes a left-arm option with the new ball. Madushanka restores it. He joins Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga and Nuwan Thushara in the seam group. Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Tharindu Rathnayake carry the spin.

Asalanka inherits the captaincy

Asalanka was the vice-captain. He now leads. Cricket Times reports that he was left out of Sri Lanka's tour of the West Indies in June, and describes the England series as another stint in charge for him. He returns to the side and to the job in the same week.

Mendis' absence takes a senior batter out of the top order. Pathum Nissanka is the most experienced name left there. Cricket Times describes Pavan Rathnayake as a young batter handed an opportunity against one of the leading sides in the format, and English conditions in late September are a hard place to take it.

The updated Sri Lanka T20I squad

The revised group for the T20I leg, as published by Cricket Times and India TV:

• Charith Asalanka (captain)
• Pathum Nissanka
• Kamil Mishara
• Lahiru Udara
• Kamindu Mendis
• Janith Liyanage
• Dasun Shanaka
• Dunith Wellalage
• Wanindu Hasaranga
• Maheesh Theekshana
• Tharindu Rathnayake
• Dushmantha Chameera
• Eshan Malinga
• Nuwan Thushara
• Pavan Rathnayake
• Dilshan Madushanka

Six matches inside two weeks

The tour runs from September 15 to September 27. Three T20Is come first, then three ODIs. India TV lists the venues as follows.

• First T20I, September 15, the Rose Bowl, Southampton
• Second T20I, September 17, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
• Third T20I, September 19, Old Trafford, Manchester
• First ODI, September 22, Chester-le-Street
• Second ODI, September 24, Leeds
• Third ODI, September 27, the Oval, London

Asalanka's first match in charge is on September 15.