Right-handed opener Pathum Nissanka will not feature in Sri Lanka’s two-match Test series in Pakistan after his left hamstring injury prevented him from passing a fitness assessment ahead of the tour. Sri Lanka Cricket announced on October 27, 2026 that Nissanka, who had been included in the original 15-man squad on the condition he regained full fitness before departure, had been formally withdrawn after failing to meet that requirement.
Lahiru Udara has been confirmed as his replacement for the Test assignment. Udara was already on Pakistani soil as part of the one-day squad, having been brought in to cover for Nissanka in the ongoing ODI tri-series after the opener fell short of fitness standards for that competition as well.
The hamstring problem first emerged when Nissanka was on Sri Lanka’s white-ball tour of England in September 2026. That setback subsequently kept him out of the T20Is against Pakistan. His return to Test cricket has now been pushed back further, compounding an earlier absence from the home series against India in August 2026, when a wrist injury had sidelined him.
Why has Nissanka been withdrawn from the Test squad?
Nissanka’s place in the original 15-member group was conditional rather than guaranteed. Sri Lanka Cricket had made his inclusion subject to a medical clearance, with the understanding that he would join the touring party only once declared fully fit. When he was assessed ahead of the Test series, he was unable to satisfy the required fitness criteria, and the board confirmed his withdrawal and formalised Udara’s inclusion as a direct replacement.
The left hamstring injury that has kept Nissanka sidelined traces back to Sri Lanka’s England white-ball tour in September 2026. It first ruled him out of the T20I leg of the Pakistan tour, then prevented him from being an unconditional selection for the ODI tri-series. His inability to clear the fitness check for the Tests means he has now been absent from international cricket across multiple formats and against several opponents over a sustained period.
Who is Lahiru Udara and what does he bring to the Test squad?
Udara has represented Sri Lanka in five Tests and was part of the country’s two most recent Test assignments, against West Indies and India. His standout contribution in the format came in Antigua, where he struck 188 against West Indies. His presence in Pakistan with the one-day squad made the transition to the Test group straightforward for the selectors.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan will contest two Tests as part of the current World Test Championship cycle, with the first match in Rawalpindi from November 9 to 13, 2026, and the second in Lahore from November 17 to 21, 2026. The series will also mark Sri Lanka’s first Test assignment under the captaincy of Kusal Mendis.
Sri Lanka’s updated 15-member Test squad for the Pakistan series
Kusal Mendis (captain), Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sonal Dinusha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Anjala Bandara, Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Lahiru Udara.
