SL vs PAK: Why did Kusal Mendis miss Super 8 clash of T20 World Cup 2026?
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The venue of SL vs PAK match is Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka are locking horns in their last game of the Super 8 round in T20 World Cup 2026 on Saturday, February 28, at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. The SL vs PAK game is a dead-rubber clash for Sri Lanka as they have been eliminated from the tournament.
On the other hand, Pakistan have a chance to book a berth in the semi-final if they defeat Sri Lanka by a margin of 65 runs. Pakistan suffered a blow at the start as Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to field first in the match.
At the toss, he informed that Kusal Mendis was not part of the playing XI. The T20 World Cup 2014 champions made two changes to their playing XI.
Why did Kusal Mendis miss SL vs PAK match in T20 World Cup 2026?
Notably, Mendis suffered an injury in the previous game against New Zealand that took place on February 25 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Hence, he was ruled out of the match. The Sri Lankan vice-captain injured his right shoulder while trying to dive to avoid a run-out in the match.
He was replaced by Kamil Mishara. Also, Dushan Hemantha was dropped in the match and was replaced by Janith Liyanage.
Speaking about the playing XI at the toss, Shanaka said: “So yeah, we are looking forward to the game. Two changes. Kamil Mishara comes in for Kusal Mendis, he pulled out with the injury, and Dushan Hemantha out, Janith (Liyanage) comes in”.
Mendis’ absence comes as a big blow for Sri Lanka, as he has done a decent job with the bat. The wicket-keeper batter has scored 197 runs in six games at an average of 39.40 and a strike rate of 114.53. He is the second highest run-scorer for the team after Pathum Nissanka. He also scored three half-centuries in the league stage.
SL vs PAK: Playing 11’s
Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara(w), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka(c), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka.
Why is Kusal Mendis not part of Sri Lanka’s playing XI against Pakistan?
Kusal Mendis was ruled out of the match due to an injury he sustained in the previous game against New Zealand.
Who replaced Kusal Mendis in Sri Lanka’s playing XI vs Pakistan?
Kamil Mishara replaced Kusal Mendis in Sri Lanka’s playing XI vs Pakistan.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.