Sri Lanka drop Perera pick Thikshila De Silva for the T20I series in South Africa

The Sri Lankan selectors named the 15–member squad for the T20I series to be played as a part of the ongoing tour of South Africa. After the conclusion of the Test series both the teams will meet each other in a 3-T20I series which will be followed by an ODI series. The selectors took the big decision of dropping Kusal Perera from the squad and have picked Thikshila De Silva in the team.

Dhanushka Gunathilaka, Seekuge Prasanna, Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunarathna, Sachith Pathirana, Lakshan Sadakan, and Nuwan Kulasekara who have been picked for the shortest format will join the players from the Test squad who have been retained for the limited-overs assignment South Africa on January 12 with the series set to start with the first match on 20th January at Centurion.

Thikshila, the 23-year old batsman is known for his hard-hitting prowess and is also a useful bowler with his right-arm seam ups. From the Test team skipper Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Suranga Lakmal, Kusal Mendis, Upul Tharanga and Dhananjaya de Silva are a part of the T20 squad and will camp there until joined by the other seven players flying from Sri Lanka.

The T20 match schedule of the South Africa v Sri Lanka series:

1st T20I – 20th January 2017 – Centurion

2nd T20I – 22nd January 2017 – Johannesburg

3rd T20I – 25th January 2017 – Cape Town

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Sri Lanka squad for the T20I series:

Angelo Mathews (Captain), Dinesh Chandimal (Vice Captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Seekuge Prasanna, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asela Gunarathna, Sachith Pathirana, Lakshan Sadakan, Thikshila de Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara.

Hosts South Africa had also announced their squad a couple of days ago and named Farhaan Behardien as the new skipper.

South African squad for the T20I series:

Farhaan Behardien (Titans, Captain), Theunis de Bruyn (Knights), Reeza Hendricks (Highveld Lions), Imran Tahir (Dolphins), Heino Kuhn (Titans), David Miller (Knights), Mangaliso Mosehle (Highveld Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Wayne Parnell (Cape Cobras), Dane Paterson (Cape Cobras), Aaron Phangiso (Highveld Lions), Andile Phehlukwayo (Dolphins), Jon-Jon Smuts (Warriors).

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