Nuwan Thushara has been ruled out of the T20I series against India after sustaining a fractured thumb on his left hand during a fielding session on Wednesday.

Although the injury is to his non-bowling hand, it was deemed serious enough for Sri Lanka to remove Thushara from the squad before the first match to be played on Saturday, 27 July.

Dilshan Madushanka has been named as Thushara’s replacement in the squad. The left-arm pacer had a breakout tournament at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, where he finished as the third-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps in nine matches.

Thushara’s injury further depletes Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, with Dushmantha Chameera already ruled out of the T20I series due to bronchitis and respiratory infection. Asitha Fernando was named Chameera’s replacement.

Since his debut in 2022, Thushara has quickly established himself as a key player in Sri Lanka’s T20I squad. In 11 T20Is, the slingy right-arm pacer has claimed 19 wickets with an economy rate of 7.95.

He was a standout performer for his side in an otherwise disappointing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in the USA and Canada, where he was the top wicket-taker for Sri Lanka with eight wickets in three matches. Before that, he had also taken a T20I hat-trick against Bangladesh earlier this year in March.

Updated Sri Lanka squad: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Binura Fernando