Sri Lanka captain Shashikala Siriwardene has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against New Zealand having sustained an injury during the 3rd ODI.
Siriwardene is said to have taken a knock on her thumb while batting, resulting in a fracture. This is a huge blow for the team as not only is she an experienced campaigner but also a player on whom the team relies on to contribute with both bat and ball.
The off spinning all-rounder Siriwardene currently sits at 19th in the ICC ODI bowling rankings and 14th in the T20s, while being within the top 40 in both ODI and T20 batting. Oshadi Ranasinghe will most likely replace her in the team. She will add a different dimension to the bowling lineup as opposed to Siriwardene as she is a medium pace bowler.
Vice-Captain Chamari Atapatthu who had a short stint as skipper earlier this year will lead the side in Siriwardene’s absence with opening bowler Sripali Weerakkody stepping in as her deputy for the rest of the tour.
The tour has not gone well so far as the Lankan lasses have been comprehensively beaten in the 3 ODIs played. Things will only get harder with Siriwardene out of the team as they aim to salvage some pride in the final 2 ODIs and the 3 match T20 series to come.
