Pathum Nissanka has been ruled out of the upcoming West Indies Test in Antigua, starting July 3. The Sri Lanka opener has been struggling with a wrist injury for some time and has finally decided to address it before the situation gets out of hand. Nissanka struggled in the first West Indies Test, scoring 2 and 3 runs, and has decided to pull out of the tour.
Injury trouble for Sri Lanka
According to Newswire, Nissanka has travelled to London for his wrist surgery and has already pulled out of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 season. The opener played for Jaffna Kings in 2024 and was part of the title run. The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) cancelled the 2025 edition of the tournament.
As LPL returns, Nissanka, one of the best batters in the country, won’t be able to play. That will cause a serious concern for SLC and LPL. However, that won’t be all. The LPL 2026 season will conclude on August 9, and the India vs Sri Lanka Test series will commence on August 15. Nissanka might miss the marquee series.
The last time Sri Lanka defeated India in a Test series was in 2008. India has toured Sri Lanka thrice since then, the last of which was in 2017, and has beaten them on all three occasions. At the moment, we don’t know how long Nissanka will need to recover from his wrist injury. However, without him, it’ll be exceptionally difficult for Sri Lanka to defeat Shubman Gill’s team.
Apart from Nissanka, right-arm fast bowler Lahiru Kumara has also been ruled out of the West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test. Lahiru has sustained a hamstring injury, and one of Vishva Fernando or Isitha Wijesundara could replace him. Lahiru Udara or Pasindu Sooriyabandara will replace Nissanka.
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