SLC stated that Charith Asalanka would not be available for the upcoming T20I tri-nation series in Pakistan and would be replaced by Dasun Shanaka as captain.
Charith Asalanka and Asitha Fernando have been ruled out of the Pakistan tour
Sri Lanka was recently involved in a three-match ODI series against Pakistan. They put in a poor performance in all three matches of the tour and suffered a humiliating 0–3 whitewash at the hands of the hosts.
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After the first match of the series, panic struck the Sri Lankan team and they were reminded of the 2009 attacks in Lahore. Notably, a suicide bombing took place in Islamabad, which left the Sri Lankan players extremely scared, and they were asked to leave the country immediately.
However, SLC put pressure on the cricketers to continue the tour and even threatened players and support staff with “a formal review” if they left the tour due to security concerns. Ultimately, the Lankan cricketers agreed to continue, but not without added security.
Illness and injury issues also hit the Sri Lankan camp as several players fell ill ahead of the third ODI, including skipper Charith Asalanka, who did not play in the final match.
Now, Asalanka has been ruled out of the entire T20I tri-nation series in Pakistan along with Asitha Fernando as the duo is seriously ill.
This precautionary decision ensures that they receive proper care – Sri Lanka Cricket
SLC shared an official statement on
They announced Dasun Shanaka as captain for the upcoming T20I tri-nation series and added Pavan Rathnayake to the squad.
“Sri Lanka Tour of Pakistan 2025 #PAKvSL. Two players return home Captain Charith Asalanka and fast bowler Asitha Fernando, both suffering from illness, will return home. The two players will not participate in the upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
“This precautionary decision will ensure that they receive proper care and adequate time to recover ahead of future assignments. Dasun Shanaka will be named captain. With Asalanka unavailable, Dasun Shanaka will lead Sri Lanka during the tri-series. Pavan Rathnayake has been added to the T20I squad as a replacement,” SLC added.
Sri Lanka Tour of Pakistan 2025 #PAKvSL
▫️ Two players return home
Captain Charith Asalanka and fast bowler Asitha Fernando, both suffering from illnesses, will return home.
The two players will not participate in the upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and… pic.twitter.com/71Z3RVQPQW— Sri Lanka cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) November 17, 2025
So we will try to improve that in the future – Kusal Mendis
Kusal Mendis, who led the team in the third ODI, said after the whitewash that they would try to make improvements in the future. He explained:
“Five top hitters got starts but they didn’t go well and build on that. So we’ll try to improve on that in the future. Vandersay played really well and bowled really well and I’m really happy for him.
“He is playing for Sri Lanka after a long time. In T20s, there will be few players coming in who are in good form. It is very cold here and the T20 series is being looked forward to.”
Also read: WPL 2026 schedule and venues finalized by BCCI
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