Sri Lanka look to cope without Hasaranga in Pallekele

Sri Lanka's campaign moves cities, but it does so under a cloud. Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup with a hamstring injury, a significant setback for the co-hosts just as the tournament begins to take shape. The injury leaves a visible gap in their bowling plans and on-field presence. While the immediate test, against Oman, may not appear the sternest on paper, the focus will be on how Sri Lanka's attack responds without its lead spinner.

This will be the first game of the tournament at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, with a morning start. The shift from Colombo brings different conditions, but spin is set to be the flavour again, with the slower bowlers having had more success here compared to the pacers. That places added responsibility on Maheesh Theekshana and Sri Lanka's other slow-bowling resources, especially with their star spinner missing.

Sri Lanka were also not fluent with the bat in their opening game against Ireland. They were strangled through the middle overs, failing to hit a single boundary between overs 7 and 15, before Kamindu Mendis gave them a good finish. They'll be hoping for the top order to show more intent and find their rhythm, considering the tougher assignments coming up after this.

For Oman, this is unfamiliar territory in more ways than one. It will be their first-ever T20I against Sri Lanka. Quick adaptation to conditions and better management with the bat will be key. They arrive after a chastening defeat to Zimbabwe. Exposed by pace and bounce, they were rushed into errors and bundled out for 103. They need an improved batting display if they are to challenge the hosts.

When:Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 11:00 AM local

Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele

What to expect:A slower surface with spin and cutters playing a major role. Chasing has historically been preferred at the venue, but disciplined middle-overs bowling can tilt the balance either way. Since 2024, seven T20Is have been played at Pallekele, with the average first-innings score being 159 - which rises to 170 in matches won by the side batting first. Teams batting first have won two and lost four in that period, with one tie. The highest first-innings total here is 213 for 7 by India in 2024, while the highest successful chase at the venue is 177 by Sri Lanka against Australia in 2022.

Team news:

Sri Lanka:

Hasaranga's absence forces a reshuffle in the bowling combination. Legspinner Dushan Hemantha has been roped in as the replacement and could slot in straightaway.

Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana

Oman:

Oman are unlikely to make sweeping changes and may stick to the same eleven.

Probable XI:Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmed

What they said:

"We thought it would be a good wicket, but when we were batting, we realized that it would be a challenging wicket. So I think with home advantage, we used to play these wickets. Sometimes it will be good. Sometimes it will help for spinners as well. I think it's all about situation handling" - Kamindu Mendis on the pitches.

"For Associate nations to compete against top Test nations, we need to play more against each other. Nepal's match was a good example of how the standard between the Associate countries and Test nations; the gap is closing now. So we need to play more matches against each other so that we can close the gap" - Sufyan Mehmood.