Isuru Udana Virtually Ruled Out Of Third T20I Against India

The visitors Sri Lanka has suffered a significant blow with their ace all-rounder Isuru Udana being ruled out of the final T20I of the 3-match series in Pune. The left-handed all-rounder sustained an injury in Indore while fielding at the third-man region in powerplay overs. The Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur revealed the news to PTI on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka missed Udana’s services while defending a moderate 143 against India in Indore on Tuesday after the bowler injured his back in the powerplay. His slide to stop the ball didn’t go right as he ended up walking back to the pavilion without a single over to his name.

I just hope the best for Isuru Udana – Mickey Arthur

Speaking of the intensity of the injury, Mickey Arthur stated that Isuru Udana was in severe pain and revealed that doctors giving him the much-required assistance. The head coach Arthur hopes that Isuru Udana would be fine for the series against West Indies or even before. He doesn’t want the injury of Isuru Udana to be a lengthy one, with a lot of series in the lineup.

“Look, I’m no doctor. He was in a hell of a lot of pain in the dressing room. What the diagnosis is I honestly don’t know. I just hope we can get him back for the West Indies series,” Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur said.

“We’ve got so much cricket… the middle of February. I even think that could be a push. So, yeah, I just hope the best for him. It’s something in the back,” added the South Africa, who was appointed Sri Lanka’s head coach last month.

The absence of Isuru Udana will further weaken the team, as he is one of the best-performed players for Sri Lanka in 2019. He not only delivers with the ball but also plays those crucial knocks down the order to make things fall in place for his side.

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On Tuesday, Sri Lanka lost the game by seven wickets as India trampled them to take 1-0 lead in the three-match series at the Holkar Stadium. The first match in Guwahati was called off without a ball being bowled due to rain and damp pitch. The final game of the series will be played in Pune on Friday.