In a major blow to Sri Lanka ahead of the fourth ODI, star batsman Kusal Perera was on Tuesday ruled out of the remainder of the South Africa tour with a hamstring tear.
Having already lost the five-match series, Sri Lanka were hoping to salvage pride by emerging on the winning side in the remaining two ODIs but the injury blow to Perera is sure to peg them back.
Perera hurt his hamstring when he dived to stop a Faf du Plessis drive in the previous match at Durban. Having landed awkwardly, he immediately clutched his knee and hobbled off the field soon after. He did not return to the field, nor did he bat in Sri Lanka's chase.
Perera has had a history of hamstring injuries. This was the third instance in as many years. It all started in 2017 when a hamstring tear not only kept Perera out of Champions Trophy but also forced him away from cricket for seven months.
With scores of 33 and 8 to his name, Perera has not been able to do much in the ODI series but he was one of the main architects of Sri Lanka’s historic Test triumph in South Africa last month. It was Perera’s unbeaten 153 that took Sr Lanka to that famous 1-wicket victory in the first Test at Durban.
Sri Lanka will take on South Africa in the fourth ODI at Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.