Dushmantha Chameera’s IPL participation in doubt; could miss West Indies tour as well

Sri Lanka have been struggling with injuries to key players and as many as seven players who could make it to the Test squad for their tour to West Indies are suffering (or recovering) from injuries and hence are missing the ongoing Inter-Provincial tournament.

The latest entrant into the long injury list is fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. A back problem which he suffered after bowling 11 overs in the first game of the Inter-Provincial tournament has brought his participation not only in the Inter-Provincial tournament but also the IPL in doubt. 

Chameera was picked by Rajasthan Royals for his base price of Rs 50 lakh and was supposed to join the RR squad but instead has remained in Colombo for rehabilitation, because of which he has been ruled out for the first three weeks of the IPL. 

“He has had some back stiffness, so we expect it to be three more weeks at least before he can return to bowling. We'll reassess after that and see where he is,” Sri Lanka chief selector Graeme Labrooy told ESPNcricinfo.

If Chameera misses out on the West Indies tour, Sri Lanka may have to go in with a new pace-bowling attack as Suranga Lakmal also suffered a side strain in the Inter-Provincial tournament while Nuwan Pradeep and Shehan Madushanka are almost certain to miss the tour as both of them are recovering from hamstring injuries. The first Test of Sri Lanka’s tour of West Indies starts on June 6.