Sri Lanka faces an injury setback before the Asia Cup final as their key spinner Maheesh Theekshana sustained a right hamstring strain while fielding in the Super 4 match against Pakistan.
The spinner left the field on many occasions during Sri Lanka’s bowling innings and was later aided by his teammates to quit the field after completing his spell, is due to have scans on Friday to evaluate his condition.
Theekshana had a good start with the new ball, giving only 14 runs in his first 5 overs before temporarily departing the field on Thursday. He returned to action during the 28th over, making a huge impact by removing Mohammad Nawaz after a rain delay.
As the match progressed, it was clear that the 23-year-old was not at ease during his second session, notably between the 35th and 39th overs, due to a problematic hamstring issue. In the 35th over, Maheesh Theekshana managed to catch Iftikhar Ahmed in front of the stumps with the final delivery. In the heat of the moment, he passionately appealed for an lbw (leg before wicket) decision, but the umpire remained steadfast in his decision to keep Ahmed at the crease. Meanwhile, Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis engaged in a brief on-field discussion and ultimately decided not to opt for a review. Nevertheless, he showed great tenacity and completed his stipulated 9 overs, allowing 42 runs while also grabbing a wicket.
This spinner plays a crucial part in Sri Lanka’s ODI squad and has emerged as the leading wicket-taker for them in ODIs in 2023, securing 31 wickets in 15 matches at an outstanding average of 17.45.
Theekshana’s fitness will surely be vital for Sri Lanka’s goals in the approaching 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Teams have to submit their final squads for the World Cup tournament by September 28th.
