Why Wanindu Hasaranga is Not Playing Today in SL vs OMAN T20 World Cup 2026?

The World Cup is getting more interesting as the tournament is moving forward, and the 16th match of SL vs OMAN T20 World Cup 2026 is set to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Balagolla. The Oman skipper Jatinder Singh has won the toss and has elected to bowl first.

Before the start of this match, the Sri Lankan side was already under the clouds because of losing Wanindu Hasaranga, one of the main pillars of this side. To cover such high impact loss, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has decided include Dushan Hemantha as Wanindu Hasaranga replacement.

Why Wanindu Hasaranga is Not Playing Today Against OMAN?

Hasaranga has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 because of his hamstring injury. On February 8, during Sri Lanka's first match against Ireland, Hasaranga took 3 wickets while giving just 25 runs in his 4 overs. After completing his 4 overs, he started limping and then left the field as he was not feeling 100% fit. Later on, when the physio team examined him and suggested taking an MRI report.

The report showed that there is a serious tear in his left hamstring tissue, and it might take at least 4 weeks to get him fully-fit. Hasaranga is one of the most important assets for the Sri Lankan side and one of the best spinners in the world. He has a fabulous record while playing in subcontinent pitches, with a T20I bowling average of 15.68, which says enough about his domination in such pitches.

Dushan Hemantha Came as Injury Replacement

In-order to fill the Hasaranga position, Dushan Hemantha has been included in the team. He is a big star in the First-class cricket in Sri Lanka, where he has a bowling average of 28.45 with a destructive batting approach. Much like Hasaranga, Hemantha is coming in the T20 World Cup team with a reputation as a sensible leg spinner and a batter who can score some really important boundaries in the death overs.

He is considered someone on whom the team can depend as a lower-order batter. He has two T20 fifties and a career-best score of 100* in List A cricket, though he is generally seen as less explosive than Hasaranga. He has played only three T20Is, and all of them were against Zimbabwe in 2025, where he took 4 wickets with an economy of 7.85. It isn't