Sri Lanka Vs India 2017: Lasith Malinga Named Captain For Fourth ODI

With stand-in skipper Chamara Kapugedera ruled out of the upcoming fourth One-Day International due to a back injury, Sri Lanka have named senior bowler Lasith Malinga as the captain. Kapugedera led Sri Lanka in the third ODI after regular captain Upul Tharanga was handed a two-game ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to the slow over-rate offence in the second ODI. However, Kapugedera’s hopes of leading the country in another match was dashed after he aggravated a back injury during the third ODI on Sunday. The 30-year-old had been nursing a stiff back before the match but had gone on to bat and field in that do-or-die game which the hosts needed to win to keep the series alive.

Lasith Malinga to captain Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI as Kapugedera pulls out due to injury!

— Roshan Abeysinghe (@RoshanCricket) August 29, 2017

Malinga, meanwhile, will have his task cut out when he leads the Islanders in the crucial fourth ODI on Thursday (August 31).  The fate of the series has already been decided with India taking a 3-0 lead in the five-match series, but it still holds a huge importance for the home sides. Currently ranked eighth in ODIs, Sri Lanka needs to win the remaining two games to secure an automatic spot for the next World Cup.

However, they face a herculean task of beating the high-flying Indian team with a depleted team that has been pegged by several injuries as they are missing some of their key players due to injuries with Kapugedera being the latest one. Danushka Gunathilaka has been ruled out with a shoulder strain while Dinesh Chandimal, who was brought into the squad ahead of the third ODI, has been ruled out with a fractured finger. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera and batting all-rounder Asela Gunaratne had earlier been ruled out of the series too.