Pace bowler Nuwan Pradeep ruled out of ICC Cricket World Cup for a week due to a finger injury

Pace bowler Nuwan Pradeep has been ruled out of upcoming World Cup games after suffering from a dislocation on his little finger. The 32-year old is set to regain full fitness in seven to eight days.

He sustained the injury while during the practice session ahead of the Bangladesh game. Pradeep was bowling to wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera when he tried to protect his face from a straight shot struck at him which resulted in a finger dislocation.

He was rushed to the Hospital for further examination and it was revealed that he sustained some bruises on his right hand. Sri Lanka’s Team Manager, Asantha De Mel said that Nuwan Pradeep will not be available for Sri Lanka for the upcoming World Cup games. He further stated that pace bowler needs atleast a week to recover from finger dislocation.

With Nuwan Pradeep sidelined for a week, Sri Lanka have likes of Jeevan Mendis and Jeffrey Vandersay as prominent bowling options in their World Cup squad. Sri Lanka is expected to make changes for their upcoming game against Bangladesh that will be played at Bristol.

Nuwan Pradeep was the standout performer for Sri Lanka in their win over Afghanistan at Cardiff. He picked up four wickets to see Islanders register their first win of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. Pradeep has produced decent numbers for Sri Lanka in limited-overs cricket and has taken 46 wickets in 36 matches at an average of 36.00. He also two four-wicket hauls to his name in white-ball cricket.

Sri Lanka have a like-for-like replacement in Kasun Rajitha, who is currently with the World Cup as a stand-by player. It will be interesting to see what changes Sri Lanka for their next game against Bangladesh.

Opener Lahiru Thiramanne also faced of discomfort in his knees during practice session and could be doubtful starter for Bangladesh game.