Madushanka Named as Pathirana's Replacement in T20 World Cup

Dilshan Madushanka has been approved as the replacement for injured Matheesha Pathirana in Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup squad. Pathirana suffered a muscle strain in his left leg during Sri Lanka's match against Australia, ruling him out of the tournament. Madushanka, a left-arm pacer, brings experience and proven skill to the squad, having claimed 15 wickets in 15 T20Is at a bowling average of 31.86. Sri Lanka will face Zimbabwe in their last group-stage game before moving to the Super Eights, where they'll play England, New Zealand, and Pakistan. Matheesha Pathirana, Sri Lanka's star death bowler, is out of the T20 World Cup due to a muscle strain in his left leg, confirmed by batting consultant Vikram Rathour. Dilshan Madushanka replaces him, bringing experience with 15 wickets in T20Is at an average of 31.86 and an economy rate of 9.75. Dilshan Madushanka's recent form hasn't been great, with a rough outing against India in July 2024, giving away 45 runs in 3 overs. He's coming off an injury-plued year, missing part of the IPL and struggling in ODIs. Sri Lanka play England in Pallekele, New Zealand at Khettarama, and Pakistan in Pallekele again, during the Super Eight stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup Dilshan Madushanka's journey to the T20 World Cup hasn't been smooth sailing. He suffered a leg injury in early 2025, which kept him out for most of the year. He made a comeback in the home series against Bangladesh but didn't get to play. Madushanka then headed to Zimbabwe, where he picked up 5 wickets in 2 ODIs before suffering a knee injury. Despite struggling with match fitness, he's been given another chance due to Sri Lanka's current injury woes. Notably, he was among the top wicket-takers at the 2023 ODI World Cup with 21 wickets.