Pathirana out of third Bangladesh T20I with hamstring injury

Sri Lanka slinger Matheesha Pathirana is unavailable for the third T20I against Bangladesh on Saturday, after having sustained a grade one hamstring injury on his left leg during the previous match.

Pathirana was seen clutching his left hamstring as he attempted to finish his fourth over, but was ultimately unable to close out his final spell, leaving Angelo Mathews to deliver the last two balls.

By a distance Sri Lanka's fastest bowler, as he breached 150kph on occasion, Pathirana had had a mixed series. He had leaked 56 runs in his four overs in the first T20I, but took 2 for 28 from 3.4 overs in the second. Sri Lanka have looked to use him largely at the death.

Sri Lanka do have what is as close to a like-for-like replacement for Pathirana as possible in their squad. Nuwan Thushara also bowls with a round-arm action, though he is not as quick as Pathirana. The other specialist seamers in the squad are left-armers Binura Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka.

The series is tied 1-1 as the teams go into the final T20I in Sylhet, on Saturday.

Pathirana is also Chennai Super Kings' designated death bowler in the IPL, which begins on March 22 in Chennai.