Sri Lanka have been dealt a significant blow ahead of the second and final Test against Bangladesh, with promising bowling all-rounder Milan Rathnayake officially ruled out due to a left-side strain. The injury was sustained during the drawn first Test in Galle, where Rathnayake made a notable impact with both bat and ball.
The news comes as a setback for the hosts, who are aiming to clinch their opening series in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Rathnayake’s absence will be keenly felt, especially following the retirement of veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews after the Galle Test.
Rathnayake, who impressed with his ability to generate pace and bounce, picked up four crucial wickets in the first Test and also contributed a valuable 39 runs with the bat in the first innings. His performance in Galle underscored his growing importance to the Sri Lankan Test setup. He had even briefly left the field during the second day of the first Test due to discomfort, but returned to complete his spell.
In response to Rathnayake’s injury and Mathews’ retirement, Sri Lanka Cricket has called up left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando and the prodigious young spinner Dunith Wellalage to the squad. Fernando, with 79 dismissals in 27 Tests, brings valuable experience to the pace attack, while Wellalage, who has a solitary Test appearance, offers another spin option on what could be a turning pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo.
The second Test is scheduled to begin on June 25th at the SSC. The first Test, a hard-fought encounter, ended in a stalemate, setting up a thrilling decider in Colombo. Sri Lanka will now need to reshuffle their bowling attack and batting lineup to compensate for the loss of Rathnayake’s all-round capabilities as they look to secure a series victory on home soil.
