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Sri Lanka assistant coach Naveed Nawaz confirmed that Lahiru Kumara sustained an injury during bowling practice ahead of their upcoming match against Afghanistan in the 30th ODI World Cup 2023 game at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Monday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Nawaz said that Kumara experienced discomfort in the quadriceps muscle of his left leg for which he was left out of the Sri Lanka ODI World Cup squad. "Lahiru Kumara encountered an issue during his bowling practice yesterday, as he experienced discomfort in the quadriceps muscle of his left leg. This condition made it challenging for him to continue bowling. A subsequent scan conducted yesterday evening revealed a tear in the muscle. For him to return to playing cricket, a rehabilitation process spanning approximately three weeks is necessary. Given this extended recovery timeline, he won't be able to participate in the ongoing tournament. Hence, the decision was made to bring in Dushmantha as his replacement," Kumara said. Talking about Pune's pitch, the Sri Lanka assistant coach said that it is a good wicket and hoped that it would be good for their batsmen. "This is a good pitch. In January this year, we played a T20 match against India on this pitch. I think this is a good pitch. Also, about five one-day matches have been played on this pitch recently. There have been some high-score games in those matches. So, we think that this pitch will be good and our batsmen will be able to score a lot of runs. And we think that we will be able to provide a good competition," he added. The Sri Lanka assistant coach said that they have faced Afghanistan a lot in the past year and will be looking forward to making fewer mistakes in the upcoming match. "We played Afghanistan quite a bit and during the Asia Cup recently as well. And we've won and lost as well. So, I would say it depends on how you go about the day. And on a wicket like this, I think, there will be runs on this ground, I presume. And it all depends on how you go about on the day, fewer mistakes. And that's what we've been focusing on the last couple of weeks. And try and bring our best game in all three departments, with batting, bowling, and fielding as well. So, if things go to plan and we play a tidy game, I think there'll be - chances are going to be good for us," he concluded. Sri Lanka will be full of confidence before their forthcoming game as they are coming into this match after beating England by eight wickets. Kusal Mendis' side is standing in fifth place on the ODI World Cup 2023 standings with four points after winning two out of their five games. (ANI)
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