Sri Lankan fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana suffered a left calf strain during the recent ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against Australia. The right-arm fast bowler, who is Sri Lanka’s main death over option, will miss the remaining matches of the tournament and his absence is a major blow to their bowling plans in the Super 8 stage.
Mathisha Pathirana got injured in Pallekele on Monday, 16 February. He bowled only four balls before leaving the field. Pathirana went down straight after his fourth ball, holding his hamstring. He was examined by the Sri Lankan physio and later walked off the field without continuing to bowl.
Mathisha Pathirana ruled out of remaining matches of ICC T20 World Cup 2026
According to Newswire.lk, Mathisha Pathirana has been ruled out of the remaining matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 due to a left calf strain.
Left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka is seen as the frontrunner to replace Pathirana. Binura Fernando and Nuwan Thushara are also being considered, while all-rounder Milan Rathnayake provides an option with both seam bowling and lower-order batting depth.
“Sri Lanka fast bowler Mathiesha Pathirana has been ruled out of the remainder of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a left calf strain, although an official announcement has not yet been made by Sri Lanka Cricket. His injury has forced the selectors to re-evaluate their options ahead of the Super Eights stage,” the report read.
Sri Lanka considering bringing Wanindu Hasaranga back into T20 World Cup squad
The report states that Sri Lanka are considering bringing Wanindu Hasaranga back into the squad at the end of the tournament. He has not fully recovered from his hamstring injury, but the team is discussing whether he can make a comeback if his fitness improves in time.
“Sri Lanka are also exploring the possibility of reinstating Wanindu Hasaranga into the squad. Although he has not fully recovered from his hamstring injury, there are discussions over whether he will be able to regain fitness later in the tournament,” the report said.
With their final group match having little bearing on qualification, Sri Lanka have the luxury of waiting and waiting. They want to assess Hasaranga’s recovery and keep his replacement options open ahead of the Super 8 stage.
Wanindu Hasaranga ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026 after hamstring injury
Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 after suffering a left hamstring injury in Sri Lanka’s opening match against Ireland in Colombo. The 28-year-old played a key role in the game, which Sri Lanka won by 20 runs, before an MRI scan confirmed the injury.
Hasaranga remains Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler in the T20 format. He has taken 40 wickets in the T20 World Cup at an economy rate of 6.01.
Sri Lanka started its campaign with R. With a 20-run win over Ireland at the Premadasa Stadium. They followed that up with a 105-run win over Oman, followed by an eight-wicket win against Australia, sealing their place in the Super 8 stage.
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