Sri Lankan pacer ruled out of T20 World Cup [Source: AFP]In the latest development, Sri Lankan cricket has been jolted by an injury ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. One of their key pace bowlers, Eshan Malinga, has been ruled out of the tournament after sustaining an injury against England in the second T20I on Sunday.The pacer suffered a dislocated shoulder and will take time to heal as the pacer is out of the T20 World Cup. According to Sri Lankan journalist, Nibraz Ramzan, Dilshan Madushanka or Pramod Madushan will replace the injured pacer in the squad.Nibraz Ramzan @nibraz88cricket Bad news for Sri Lanka ahead of the T20 World Cup: Eshan Malinga has been ruled out after dislocating his shoulder during last night’s 2nd T20I vs England. Dilshan Madushanka or Pramod Madushan will replace him in the squad. #T20WorldCup The player will travel to Colombo for scans and it’s believed he will be out of action for four to six weeks. The incident happened during the England innings as Malinga came to bowl and bowled a high-full toss to Tom Banton as he slipped to the ground while holding his left shoulder. The physio was called up immediately, and he was taken off the field.Will Sri Lanka miss Malinga's services?Despite boasting the likes of Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera as pace bowling options, Sri Lanka will miss the services of Eshan Malinga, who offers a different variety as compared to the other seam-bowling options.He is yet to showcase his ability at the highest level, but Malinga has shown his skills, and was Sri Lanka’s best bet to bowl in the death overs in the T20 World Cup. The team has Pathirana who can bowl in the slog overs, but he has been inconsistent as of late.Known for his pinpoint yorkers and ability to control his lines and lengths, the Sri Lankan side will miss his services in the upcoming T20 World Cup.Madushanka or Madushan; who is a better Malinga replacement?Report stated that Madushanka and Madushan are the two prime contenders to replace the injured bowler in the Sri Lankan team, but only one can be accommodated in the main team.Both pacers offer different skillsets, and the choice to pick between one of them will be a tough ask for the selectors. Madushanka, the left-arm seamer offers quality and is one of the best left-arm bowlers when on song. In 15 T20I matches, the pacer has scalped 15 wickets, with an economy of 9.75 runs per over.However, his main asset is bowling in the powerplay, and for Sri Lanka, he can be the wicket-taking new-ball bowler. On the other hand, Madushan has played 8 T20I games for Sri Lanka and has a better record than Madushanka. The right-arm medium pacer has scalped 12 wickets, with an economy of 8.63, which is again better than his competition, Madushanka.In terms of wicket-taking ability, Madushan is a better prospect and the Lankan Lions might prefer him to replace Malinga.Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup scheduleSri Lanka are placed in Group B alongside Australia, Oman, Ireland, and Zimbabwe and even without Malinga, the team will fancy their chance of qualifying for the Super 8. The side begins their campaign against Ireland on February 8, followed by clash against Oman on February 12.They will next play against Australia on February 16, and the final group stage match will take place against Zimbabwe on February 19.
