Nishan Madushka dropped from Sri Lanka squad for New Zealand Tests

Sri Lanka, on Monday, announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming home Test series against New Zealand. Sri Lanka has retained most of the squad that traveled to England last month, where they registered a win in the final match of the series. Although Sri Lanka lost the series 2-1, their victory at The Oval is expected to boost their spirits as they prepare to host the Kiwis. In a significant update, Nishan Madushka has been dropped from the squad, making way for Oshada Fernando to return after over a year.

Oshada Fernando returns to Sri Lanka squad for the New Zealand Test series

Oshada Fernando has returned to Sri Lanka’s Test squad after last appearing in March 2023. The 33-year-old has been included in place of Nishan Madushka, who was part of the team that toured England for the three-match Test series. Although Madushka assisted Sri Lanka in the England tour, he struggled to make an impact. The opener managed low scores of 4, 0, 7, and 13 in the first two matches before being left out of the final Test. Now, as Madushka contends with his poor form, Fernando has been called up for the assignment against New Zealand at home.

Fernando regained his place in the squad after an impressive performance for Sri Lanka 'A' earlier this month. He scored 122 and 80 against South Africa 'A', catching the attention of the Lankan selectors. Besides Madushka, Sri Lanka has also left out bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Nisala Tharaka, who were part of the squad for the England tour. However, aside from these changes, Sri Lanka has retained 15 of the players from the series against England.

These matches, set to take place in Galle, are part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle. Dhananjaya De Silva will continue to lead the side, with the team aiming to build on their recent success and deliver a strong performance against New Zealand. Meanwhile, New Zealand, currently placed third in the WTC rankings, will look to capitalize on the subcontinent conditions before facing India next month.

Sri Lanka squad for New Zealand Tests: Dhananjaya De Silva (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.