Washington Sundar has been drafted in as a replacement for the injured Axar Patel in India’s lineup for the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka on Sunday. The decision was prompted by Axar’s multiple injuries suffered during India’s recent Super Four match against Bangladesh, with the extent of his injuries still uncertain. A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India revealed, “Axar is currently suffering from multiple injuries. He has hurt his little finger, got hit on forearm by a throw from deep and most importantly has developed a hamstring niggle. So Washington has been called.”
The hamstring issue is a major concern for Axar, considering the impending World Cup, which is just three weeks away. Sundar, an off-spin bowler, last played an ODI at home against New Zealand in January of this year.
On the other side, Sri Lanka faced a blow as their off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana has been ruled out of the final against India due to a hamstring injury. Theekshana sustained the injury during the Super Four game against Pakistan. Sri Lankan selectors have replaced him with Sahan Arachchige.
Fortunately, the prognosis for Theekshana’s recovery is optimistic, as Professor Arjuna de Silva, chair of Sri Lanka Cricket’s medical committee, mentioned, “The MRI scan is showing a tear – not a big tear. Clinically, Theekshana is okay. He’s moving around and not feeling too much pain. If we didn’t have a World Cup coming up, we would have somehow tried to get him ready for tomorrow’s match. But we don’t want to take that risk.”
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