Sri Lanka. Image Credits: AFP
Kusal Mendis, the Sri Lanka white-ball captain, has been ruled out of the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL 2026). Mendis is captaining Colombo Kaps in the LPL 2026 season and played in their second game of the season against Kandy Royals on Sunday.
This game was played at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, on July 19 and saw Kandy Royals batting first and scoring 179 runs. Lahiru Udana made 53, while captain Angelo Mathews (45) and Moeen Ali (41) contributed as well. For Kaps, Binura Fernando picked 4/45, while Hasan Mahmud took three wickets.
Kusal Mendis ruled out of LPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury
In response, Colombo chased down the total with 2 balls to spare and 6 wickets in hand, scoring 182/4. Janith Liyanage (53*) led the chase after the top three batters were removed early. James Neesham also made 48* as Kaps posted their first win of the season.
During the Colombo Kaps chase, Captain Kusal Mendis, who opened the innings, made 2 runs in four balls and had to retire hurt. He didn’t come back to resume his innings, and now it has been reported that Mendis has been ruled out of the rest of the LPL 2026 tournament.
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SLC confirms that Kusal Mendis to rehab at the High-Performance center
As per Sri Lanka Cricket, Mendis suffered the injury while attempting a quick single and now will rehab and recover at the National High-Performance Centre.
"Mendis sustained a right hamstring injury while attempting a run during the Colombo Kaps' match against the Kandy Royals on 19 July at the SSC, Colombo. Accordingly, he will return to the National High-Performance Centre to commence his rehabilitation program,’ the SLC statement said.
Mendis has been in the midst of a strong run of form, so the injury comes at an especially bad time. He had scored a 53-ball 79 in the Kandy's debut match against Galle Gladiators before being hurt.
He scored 550 runs at a strike rate of 168.19 in 11 innings during his time in the PSL this season. He has scored 408 runs at a rate of 130.35 in 14 innings for the national team since the beginning of 2026; in ODIs, his four innings this year have yielded 211 runs at an average of 70.33.
Kusal Mendis in doubt for the upcoming India Test series
The injury is a setback for both the Sri Lankan national team, which will play India in a two-test home series beginning on August 15. Although it's unclear how long this injury will keep him out, Mendis is an important player for the Sri Lankans in all forms and would have been expected to take wickets in the series against India.
The Galle International Cricket Stadium will host the first Test of India's visit, which is a part of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle. The second Test will take place at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Mendis is anticipated to play a significant role in the series, especially in his job behind the stumps, but Sri Lanka Cricket has not provided a rehabilitation schedule.
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