Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera (right) with Indian captain Rohit Sharma
The 16th edition of the Asia Cup begins on August 30, 2023. The first match will be held in Multan between hosts Pakistan and debutants Nepal. Pakistan will host the four games of this tournament in which India does not take part. Other games will be played in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan team, which has won the Asian Cup six times, has not yet announced its squad for the event. And in his camp, where previously the tension had increased due to an injury. Now the news of the outbreak of Covid is also coming to the fore.
These two players were found positive
According to ESPN Cricinfo’s report, ahead of the 2023 Asian Cup, two Sri Lankan players were found to have tested positive for Covid-19 and could have been included in the squad for the upcoming Asian Cup. Sri Lanka have not yet announced their squad for this tournament, which runs from August 30th to September 17th. Now reports have revealed that Avishka Fernando and opener Kusal Perera have tested positive for Covid. Both were reportedly under surveillance. This is done if the Sri Lanka Cricket Board can approve the Asian Cup squad at any time.
Both infected with LPL!
The report also mentioned that both players were involved in the Lanka Premier League, which lasted until August 20. Contagion was feared for both in the final stages of this tournament. It was said that both Avishka and Kusal Perera should be included in the Asian Cup squad. But now his presence will depend on whether or not he recovers from Covid-19. Before the test, the symptoms were visible in both players.
It was a double whammy for Sri Lanka. Previously, two of their big players, Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga, were reported injured. Accordingly, Chameera could miss the entire tournament due to a shoulder injury. On the other hand, star bowler Hasaranga could miss the first two to three games of the tournament due to a thigh strain. However, there is still no official update that is expected. Sri Lanka will play their first game against Bangladesh on August 31 in Pallekele. Currently, four out of six teams have announced their rosters. Only Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have not yet announced their team.
