Dickwella ruled out of West Indies ODI series

By BIPIN DANI

Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella is unlikely to play in the One Day International (ODI) Series against the touring West Indies Team which begins in Colombo later this week.  

According to reliable sources at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the 26-year-old Dickwella is down with fever and is being feared to be affected by dengue.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka all-rounder Kamindu Mendis is also suffering from dengue. 

Dickwella and Mendis have been named in the preliminary squad of 20-players chosen for the ODIs’ and T20I series against the West Indies Team. 
As a result, Kusal Janith Perera is likely to keep wickets in the first ODI to be played at the SSC Grounds in Maitland Place on February 22.  
Incidentally, Perera played last ODI in July, 2019 against Bangladesh.  Danushka Gunathilaka is also likely to miss the ODIs. The 28-year-old opening batsman is suffering from a back injury.  

Avishka Fernando may be the option to open the batting along with the Captain Dimuth Karunaratne. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s National Selectors have allowed Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) which begins on March 29. “Both Malinga and Udana are not part of the Test Squad for the home series against England and they have been granted permission to play in the IPL,” one of the selectors revealed yesterday. 

“So far, no players have sought permission to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but all-rounder Seekkuge Prasanna is likely to participate in the PSL,” the selector added.  The 34-year-old Prasanna last played an ODI in January 2019 against New Zealand and his last T20I was against Pakistan in 2017.