Sri Lanka have suffered a major blow ahead of their two-match Test series against India, with two key players ruled out due to injuries. Opener Pathum Nissanka will miss the opening Test, while wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis has been declared unavailable for the entire series. The injury concerns come at a crucial stage for Sri Lanka, with the first Test scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15. Kusal Mendis will miss both matches after failing to recover from a right hamstring injury sustained during the 2026 Lanka Premier League.
Mendis suffered the injury on July 19 while representing Colombo Kaps in their match against Kandy Royals at the SSC in Colombo. Despite undergoing rehabilitation, the experienced batter has not reached full fitness ahead of the India series. His absence is expected to leave a significant gap in Sri Lanka’s middle order during the important home assignment. Meanwhile, Pathum Nissanka has also been ruled out of the first Test due to injury. The Sri Lankan team management has not yet confirmed whether the opener will recover in time for the second Test, creating further uncertainty over the team combination.
The updates were confirmed by Sri Lankan sports journalist Nibraz Ramzan through a post on X. He stated that Kusal Mendis would miss the Test series against India because of injury, while Pathum Nissanka would also be unavailable for selection in the first Test. With two important players unavailable, Sri Lanka will now have to make changes to their squad as they prepare to face India in the upcoming Test series.
