Eshan Malinga ruled out of T20 World Cup; Asia Cup hero called up as replacement for Sri Lanka

Eshan Malinga ruled out of T20 World Cup [Source: X]

Injury blows are taking over teams from left, right and centre, with Sri Lanka quick Eshan Malinga ruled out of the entire T20 World Cup 2026 squad. The 25-year-old pacer was a young prospect who earned his place in the squad after a series of decent performances in the national setup. 

Eshan Malinga, who last featured in the England series on February 1, did not take the field during Sri Lanka A’s warm-up clash against Oman.

Nevertheless, Malinga, who rose to fame for his 141 clicks and accuracy after a notable stint with Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, was considered a solid prospect alongside youngster Matheesha Pathirana.

Why Eshan Malinga will miss T20 World Cup 2026?

However, the Sri Lankan cricket team was forced to bench him for the entirety of the tournament and call up a replacement, as Eshan Malinga suffered a nasty shoulder injury ahead of the mega ICC event.

If looked at purely from a numbers perspective, Eshan Malinga has not been very effective over the last year. In T20 cricket, out of the eight matches he played, he conceded runs at an expensive economy of 9.42 while taking only eight wickets, with several matches going wicketless. 

His average stands at 26.9, while his strike rate is 17.1, which, although underlines his role as a strike bowler for Sri Lanka, also made him expensive with the ball. Hence, Malinga’s injury might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Sri Lanka, who have called up Pramod Madushan as his replacement.

Who is Pramod Madushan? Malinga's replacement for World Cup

Pramod Madushan is Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup 2022 hero, where he turned the final against Pakistan in his team’s favour by taking four wickets for just 34 runs, dismantling the men in green’s hopes of lifting the trophy. 

The Hambantota-born pacer is known for thriving under pressure, and his selection appears to be a sound decision, especially as he has remained in touch with the game. He featured in the first two ODIs against England in January, picking up three wickets at an economy rate of 6.81. 

His last T20 outing came in the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025, where he played two matches and was particularly effective in the second semifinal against Pakistan A, claiming four wickets for 29 runs to underline his impact.

Madushan to shoulder Malinga's responsibility

However, in terms of international exposure, Pramod Madushan has played only two T20I matches since 2025. In those games, he bowled eight overs and picked up four wickets at an economy rate of 7.38. 

As a result, Madushan shapes up as a solid deputy in Sri Lanka’s frontline pace attack, which is led by Dushmantha Chameera, Mahesh Theekshana and Mathisha Pathirana.

Sri Lanka’s updated squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Pramod Madushan