Yadav, Chahar ruled out of T20 series against SL

LUCKNOW: Batsman Suryakumar Yadav and fast bowler Deepak Chahar were on Wednesday ruled out of India’s three-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka because of injuries.

India, led by new all-format skipper Rohit Sharma, will play the opening T20 International in Lucknow on Thursday followed by two matches in Dharamsala.

Yadav, who scored 107 runs to be named man of the series in India’s 3-0 Twenty20 sweep of the West Indies, suffered a hairline fracture to his hand while fielding in the final match in Kolkata.

“Surya’s injury obviously is a setback. He was in great form as you saw in the last series,” Sharma told reporters.

“But again there are so many players who are waiting here to get an opportunity. I am more than happy for them to come in and fill in.”

Chahar injured his thigh while bowling in the same match.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India said the “two will head to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for further management of their injuries”.

“I am a little sad for Surya because he was in such a great form and wanted to carry on,” said Sharma.

“It was a freak injury, he was standing in the slips, got hit on his thumb.

Those things you can’t control. I wish him a quick recovery and he comes back soon.”

Meanwhile, skipper Dasun Shanaka said Sri Lanka’s top batters will need to be among the runs against a strong Indian bowling line-up in their Twenty20 series.

Sri Lanka come into Thursday’s opening T20 at the back of a disappointing tour of Australia where they lost the five-match T20 series 4-1.

“We want the top-order to fire. Whenever our top order is among the runs we have a better chance of winning,” Shanaka said in the pre-match press conference.

“India have a strong bowling line-up and we are expecting our top order to fire which will give our bowlers a chance to defend.” Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the T20 series after he tested positive again for Covid-19. He caught the virus in Australia last week.

Shanaka said they have the bench strength to survive the absence of Hasranaga, who became the costliest Sri Lankan cricketer to be sold in the Indian Premier League auction for $1.42 million to Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“These youngsters have been in the system for a while, they have performed in domestic cricket. It has become normal with the Covid situation [to lose players to the virus],” said Shanaka.

“All the teams struggle with these cases. Wanindu will be a weakness for us but we know that he will be back soon. Still our squad is strong enough.”

India squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan.