Everything was going fine for Sri Lanka until Eshan Malinga grabbed his shoulder suddenly. The young pacer went down during the second T20I against England. Sri Lanka’s World Cup preparations just hit a massive roadblock out of nowhere.
England beat them by 6 wickets in that rain-affected game. Series losses sting, but this injury hurts infinitely worse. The T20 World Cup 2026 literally starts in days and they’ve lost a pacer.
Eshan Malinga managed just 1.2 overs before injury struck hard. His shoulder popped out mid-action while bowling at full speed. 6 runs conceded, 0 wickets taken, then straight off the field.
How Bad Is This Injury?
Medical staff sprinted onto the field the moment they saw him. Eshan Malinga couldn’t move his arm properly after the dislocation. They’re sending him to Colombo for scans right away apparently.
Four to six weeks of recovery time according to early estimates. That’s basically the entire T20 World Cup 2026 gone for him. Missing a home World Cup must feel absolutely devastating.
He’d only played 8 T20Is since debuting in November 2025. 8 matches, 8 wickets, and improving every single game. He was finding his rhythm at the worst possible time.
Who Replaces Eshan Malinga Now?
Dilshan Madushanka’s name comes up first in every discussion. The left-armer gives Sri Lanka something different with his angle. Pramod Madushan, Binura Fernando, and Asitha Fernando are also in the mix.
Selectors are waiting for official medical reports before deciding anything. Nobody wants to pick a replacement based on rumours only. This choice matters too much to mess up.
Team plays England again on Tuesday for the third T20I. Sri Lanka A has a warm-up against Oman the same day. These matches give selectors chances to watch potential replacements perform live.
World Cup Concerns Grow
The team struggled to win the recent series before this tournament. Losing matches regularly doesn’t build team confidence at all. Now losing Eshan Malinga makes things even harder for them.
Their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign opens on February 8 against Ireland. The match happens in Colombo at their home ground. Sri Lanka won this tournament back in 2014 memorably.
But repeating that success looks tougher now without Malinga available. Co-hosting brings pressure alongside massive home crowd expectations always.
