Angelo Mathews ruled out of Nidahas Trophy due to calf injury

Sri Lankan cricket team on Tuesday suffered a major setback after captain Angelo Mathews was ruled out of the tri-series scheduled to begin from next week. The 30-year-old while preparing for Nidahas Trophy sustained a calf injury during a training session in Colombo and has been ruled out for the entire series. Mathews played just one game after his reinstatement as the captain of the limited over team in January. During tri-series in Dhaka, Mathews suffered a hamstring injury and headed back home. Since then the all-rounder was working on his fitness to make a comeback.

New Delhi: Sri Lankan cricket team on Tuesday suffered a major setback after captain Angelo Mathews was ruled out of the tri-series scheduled to begin from next week. The 30-year-old while preparing for Nidahas Trophy sustained a calf injury during a training session in Colombo and has been ruled out for the entire series. Mathews played just one game after his reinstatement as the captain of the limited over team in January. During tri-series in Dhaka, Mathews suffered a hamstring injury and headed back home. Since then the all-rounder was working on his fitness to make a comeback.

"Angelo has been putting in a lot of effort to make himself available for the Nidahas Trophy. He has worked tremendously hard to be fit after being given a strenuous programme to follow. Unfortunately, during one of the training sessions he ended up hurting his calf," a source from Sri Lanka Cricket told cricket website Cricbuzz.

Test captain Dinesh Chandimal is expected to lead the side in absence of Mathews.

Along with Mathews, Sri Lankan team is currently facing multiple injury woes. Pacer Shehan Madushanka, who made an impressive start to his international career in Bangladesh, is himself recovering from a hamstring strain and is doubtful for the series. All-rounder Asela Gunaratne has already been ruled out due to a rotator cuff strain.

However, batsman Kusal Perera is expected to be fit before the start of the series.

The Nidahas Trophy which includes India and Bangladesh as the other two teams is scheduled to start from March 6 with Sri Lanka taking on India at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.