Milan Rathnayake ruled out of second Test against Bangladesh

Colombo, June 23: Sri Lanka pacer Milan Rathnayake has been ruled out of the second Test against Bangladesh, to be played in Colombo from Wednesday. The pacer sustained a left-side strain in the opening Test of the two-Test series last week. He had briefly left the field on the second morning in Galle but returned to claim three wickets by the end of the first innings, finishing the Test with four in total.

Milan was particularly economical, and his late burst on day two helped restrict Bangladesh’s first innings total to a manageable target for Sri Lanka. With the bat, he contributed a valuable 39 off 83 balls as part of a crucial 84-run seventh-wicket partnership with Kamindu Mendis.

Left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando has been named as his replacement. Spin-bowling allrounder Dunith Wellalage has also been added to Sri Lanka’s squad, with the 22-year-old set to take the place of Angelo Mathews, who retired from Test cricket following the first match of the series.

If Sri Lanka opt to replace Milan with another allrounder, they currently lack a seam-bowling allrounder in the squad. Wellalage and Sonal Dinusha, both left-arm spinners, could be considered, but with the SSC pitch typically offering less assistance to spinners than Galle - already unusually batter-friendly - Sri Lanka may prefer to include an extra fast bowler instead. If one of the spinners is selected, Tharindu Rathnayake may be the one to miss out. The pace attack includes Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, and uncapped Isitha Wijesundara.

As for filling Mathews’ spot in the XI, the likely options are Pasindu Sooriyabandara or Pavan Rathnayake, both of whom have shown strong form in recent domestic cricket and for Sri Lanka A. Oshada Fernando is also in contention, having returned to the national setup after a productive spell with Sri Lanka A late in 2024.

Following this second Test against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka will not play another Test match until 2025.

Sri Lanka squad for second Test: Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Pavan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Tharindu Rathnayake, Akila Dananjaya, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Isitha Wijesundara.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 authentic Indian perspective comments on the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh cricket news:

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Rahul K.

Big loss for SL! Milan was looking in good rhythm in the first Test. His batting contribution was equally valuable. Hope Vishwa Fernando steps up - we've seen how crucial left-arm variety can be in Asian conditions. #SLvBAN

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Priya M.

Interesting to see SL's transition phase after Mathews' retirement. They need to groom young all-rounders quickly. Wellalage is talented but they're missing a proper seam-bowling all-rounder like we have with Hardik or Shardul. Asian teams need this balance!

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Arjun S.

As an Indian cricket fan, I always enjoy watching SL-BAN contests. Both teams play with passion. Hope the SSC pitch offers a fair contest between bat and ball. Too many flat tracks in Test cricket these days 😕

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Sneha R.

That 84-run partnership with Kamindu was match-turning! Shows how important lower-order runs are in Tests. Our Indian team learned this the hard way in recent overseas tours. SL should persist with Milan once he recovers - he's got potential!

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Vikram J.

No Tests until 2025 after this? That's worrying for SL cricket. Test matches help build character - just look at how our young Indian players developed through tough series. Hope the BCB and SLC schedule more red-ball cricket 🤞

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Neha P.

The selection dilemma is interesting! On SSC pitch, they might need to play 3 pacers. But without proper all-rounders, the batting looks thin. Reminds me of India's transition period after Kapil Dev retired. Tough times for SL cricket administration.

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