Cricket World Cup 2023: Lahiru Kumara, who is injured, is replaced in Sri Lanka's squad by Dushmantha Chameera

Cricket World Cup 2023: A left thigh muscle injury has forced in-form fast bowler Lahiru Kumara to withdraw from the competition, adding another obstacle to Sri Lanka's already difficult World Cup campaign. His injury occurred during a Pune training session, shortly before Sri Lanka's pivotal match against Afghanistan.

In a statement released on their official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board stated that Chameera has been permitted to replace Kumara in the Sri Lankan squad.

After Kumara was ruled out due to a left thigh muscle injury acquired during training in Pune, Chameera, who has played 44 ODIs, was designated as a replacement, the statement continued.

Kumara has had an incredible World Cup, best highlighted by his crucial part in Sri Lanka's unexpected triumph over England in Bengaluru. During the game, he took three vital wickets, including the wickets of Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, and England captain Jos Buttler. With Kumara's outstanding 3/35 stats, Sri Lanka was able to humiliate the reigning champions with a mere 156 runs, securing an eight-wicket victory.

Following this loss, Sri Lanka promptly selected veteran right-arm fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera to succeed Kumara. The Event Technical Committee gave their approval for Chameera to be included.

It's interesting to note that Chameera did not initially join the squad of fifteen. But after recovering from an injury sustained during the Lanka Premier League, he and the seasoned Angelo Mathews were called up as travelling reserves. Prior to the game against England, Mathews was also added to the team as a substitute for the injured bowler Matheesha Pathirana.

With two victories from their five World Cup appearances, Sri Lanka is presently ranked fifth. To guarantee a place in the semifinals, they must win the remaining games.