Eshan Malinga Ruled Out Of 3rd England T20I, Injury Crisis Threatens To Derail Sri Lanka Pacer's T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign

Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup 2026 preparations haven't hit the right note following T20I their series defeat to England. They still can restore some of their pride when they host the Three Lions on Tuesday in the final and last T20I ahead of the showpiece event.

Sri Lanka Suffer A Severe Blow Ahead Of T20 World Cup

The Lankans are the joint hosts this time alongside India and they need to regroup before the tournament commences. They failed to qualify for the tournament last time and the onus will be on them to at least get past the group stage with ease.

Sri Lanka have received another blow as Eshan Malinga has been ruled out of the last T20I against England. The fast-bowler appeared to have strained his left shoulder and collapsed to the ground during his follow-through. As expected, the delivery went upwards, and it was adjudged a no-ball.

Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that Malinga will return to Colombo and will now undergo further tests to determine the extent of the dislocation of his shoulder. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, an SLC press release stated, “He will return to Colombo today, where he will undergo an MRI scan to assess the extent of the injury and determine the next course of action.”

Who Could Replace Eshan Malinga In T20 World Cup?

Sri Lanka haven't officially announced their T20 World Cup squad and they are currently sweating on the fitness of Malinga. He shot to fame with his impressive display in IPL 2025 and has since then gone on to pick up eight wickets in eight matches for his country in the shortest format.

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Should he be unable to make it to the T20 World Cup, Pramod Madushan is likely to be slotted in as his replacement. With sufficient T20I experience under his belt, Nuwan Thushara could also be a good option for them. Any replacement would have to be approved by the ICC post the January 31 deadline.

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