The 2026 T20 World Cup is already in full swing. Sri Lanka won their first match as co-hosts against Ireland but were plagued by injury problems. According to reports, the team’s all-round star Wanindu Hasaranga was injured in the first match against Ireland and will miss the remainder of the major tournament.

Wanindu Hasalanga felt some discomfort after pitching his first over. After the game, he felt some discomfort in his hamstring. He unbuttoned his pants and a physical therapist ran onto the field to check. Turns out it was a hamstring problem. However, the leg-spinner came and took all four of his balls to take three wickets in the match.

Will Wanindu Hasalanga miss the rest of the World Cup?

Hasaranga underwent a scan on Monday. According to “Morning News”, he will miss the big game from the Sri Lanka training camp. According to Sri Lanka cricket officials, Vanindu Hasaranga will not travel with the team to Kandy for the February 12 match as the team awaits medical clearance and further updates from doctors.

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Sri Lanka’s senior spinners have been prone to injuries over the years. He was ruled out of the tournament in India due to a serious hamstring injury sustained during the 2023 Sri Lanka Premier League. The spin bowling all-rounder also missed the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia due to injury.

Hasalanga breaks new record

In the last game, despite injury, Wanindu Hasaranga set a record by becoming the record holder for most wickets in the island nation’s T20 World Cup history. The veteran spinner now has 40 wickets, breaking the record of 38 wickets held by former cricketer and current fast bowling coach Lasith Malinga.

Hasaranga followed with former Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan picking 50 wickets in the main tournament. According to reports, Hasaranga will be replaced by Dushan Hementa. This will be a huge blow for the co-hosts, who are one of the favorites due to their home conditions and spin-friendly wickets.

Irrfan Pathan slams Jayasuriya for forcing Hasaranga to bowl

Irrfan Pathan also spoke about how the 28-year-old was forced to bowl on one leg by Sanat Jayasuriya against Ireland. He told Star Sports, “Yes, he’s back, he’s pitching really well, he’s showing grit, but if his hamstring gets worse, it’s just games for the entire World Cup, isn’t it?”

Irrfan further said, “He took three big wickets. He dismissed Rose Adair and Hari Tekoto. They were important wickets because he got the three-wicket batsman out. Then he finally picked up a wicket. Overall, if we talk about Vanindu Hasaranga, there was never any issue with his technique. His fitness was always questioned. One thing is that Sanath Jayasuriya is very passionate about.”

The former India pacer believes Sri Lanka risked their World Cup by bowling to him despite sustaining injuries during the match. Now, the risk arises as he could be left out of the game.

Also read: ‘Magic friction’: Ramiz Raja’s crude pun on Wanindu Hasaranga crossed the line