Shoulder Injury Puts Eshan Malinga's T20 World Cup Spot in Jeopardy

Sri Lanka's fast bowler Eshan Malinga is likely to miss the T20 World Cup 2026 due to a dislocated shoulder injury sustained during the second T20I against England. He suffered the injury while bowling and was unable to continue, with England winning the match by six wickets. Malinga will undergo an MRI scan to assess the extent of the injury and determine the next course of action. Malinga, who has taken eight wickets in eight T20 matches for Sri Lanka, was a key player in the team's recent matches. His absence will be a significant blow to Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup campaign, which starts on February 8 against Ireland. It's a cruel blow for Malinga, who had shot up Sri Lanka's seam-bowling pecking order following an impressive debut IPL stint in 2025. He had picked up eight wickets in his eight T20Is since debuting in November with a strike rate of 17.1. With SLC delaying the announcement of their World Cup squad, it's unclear if Malinga will retain his spot or not in the 15. Any change to the squad post the January 31 squad announcement deadline would also require ICC's approval. If they were to make a change however, Sri Lanka are spoilt for choice in the fast-bowling department. The two frontrunners are seemingly Madushan and Nuwan Thushara. Madushan will likely get to stake his claim in the third T20I, while Thushara has been key contributor to Sri Lanka's T20I exploits over the past year. The likes of Asitha Fernando, Binura Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka are also in contention, with the latter two the only left-armers. Potential replacements for Malinga include Pramod Madushan, Nuwan Thushara, Asitha Fernando, Binura Fernando, and Dilshan Madushanka. The Sri Lanka Cricket board will need ICC approval to make any changes to the squad after the January 31 deadline.