Kapu escapes injury Malinga included in the 11th

Sri Lanka will walk out under the new skipper Chamara Kapugedera who escaped from being injured yesterday. Kapugedera was batting at the nets and was hit by a ball which bounced off the cement edge behind the nets on to his elbow and he was in pain. He went to the dressing room to get treatment and came back to the nets.

Sri Lanka’s spearhead bowler Lasith Malinga was on the verge of not playing and the selectors have decided to give him another chance. Although he needs another two wickets to make his tally to 300 wickets has gone wicketless in almost two matches already played. There is a possibility that Thisara Perera might come into the side.

“It’s a great honour to captain your country, I’m really happy and privileged,” said Kapugedera who will lead the SL team for the first time in his hometown.

“I’m not here to look at my past. Now it’s all about what’s going to happen tomorrow. So it doesn’t matter what I did. Just what I’m going to do tomorrow is what counts,” said Kapugedera.

Kapugedera was elected to lead the team ahead of experienced Lasith Malinga who had another poor game on Thursday. Nevertheless the match will be played on a new pitch which had a little more grass than the previous one.

India are one win away from sealing the series which will effectively make the two Colombo games dead rubbers where Sri Lanka is eyeing to avoid the 2019 World Cup situation.

Sri Lanka will opt to open with Lahiru Thirimanne who has had success opening the inning before while Chandimal is set to bat at number four, which he occupied throughout 2016 when he became the highest ODI run scorer for Sri Lanka that year.