- Pathum Nissanka is out of the Pakistan Tests with a hamstring injury and Lahiru Udara has been named as a substitute. Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka was ruled out of the two-match Test series in Pakistan after failing to recover in time from a left hamstring injury.
- Pathum Nissanka.
- (Photo Source: SLC) Right-handed opener Pathum Nissanka will sit out Sri Lanka’s two-match Test series in Pakistan as his left hamstring injury prevented him from undergoing a fitness assessment before the tour.
Pathum Nissanka is out of the Pakistan Tests with a hamstring injury and Lahiru Udara has been named as a substitute. Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka was ruled out of the two-match Test series in Pakistan after failing to recover in time from a left hamstring injury.
Pathum Nissanka. (Photo Source: SLC) Right-handed opener Pathum Nissanka will sit out Sri Lanka’s two-match Test series in Pakistan as his left hamstring injury prevented him from undergoing a fitness assessment before the tour. Sri Lanka Cricket announced on 27 October 2026 that Nissanka, who had been included in the initial 15-man squad on the condition that he returned to full fitness before his departure, had been officially withdrawn after failing to meet this requirement.
Lahiru Udara was confirmed as his replacement for the test mission. Udara was already on Pakistan soil as part of the one-day squad after being brought in as a replacement for Nissanka in the ongoing ODI tri-series after the opener also failed to meet the fitness standards for the competition. The hamstring problem first surfaced when Nissanka took part in Sri Lanka’s white-ball tour of England in September 2026.
This setback subsequently prevented him from taking part in the T20Is against Pakistan. His return to Test cricket has now been delayed even further, compounding his earlier absence from the home series against India in August 2026 when he was sidelined with a wrist injury. Why was Nissanka dropped from the Test team?
Nissanka’s place in the first group of 15 was more conditional than guaranteed. Sri Lanka Cricket had made his inclusion subject to medical clearance with the proviso that he would not take part in the tour until he was declared fully fit. When assessed before the Test series, he failed to meet the required fitness criteria and the board confirmed his withdrawal and made the inclusion of Udara as a direct replacement official.
The left hamstring injury that sidelined Nissanka dates back to Sri Lanka’s white-ball tour of England in September 2026. This first ruled him out of the T20I leg of the Pakistan tour and then prevented him from even being selected for the ODI tri-series. Having failed the Test fitness assessment, he has now been out of international cricket in multiple formats and against multiple opponents for an extended period.
Who is Lahiru Udara and what does he bring to the Test team? Udara has represented Sri Lanka in five Tests and was part of the country’s last two Test pearances, against the West Indies and India. His notable contribution in this format came in Antigua where he scored 188 against the West Indies.
His presence in Pakistan with the one-day team made the transition to the Test team easier for the selectors. Sri Lanka and Pakistan will play two Tests in the current World Test Championship cycle, with the first match taking place in Rawalpindi from November 9-13, 2026 and the second match in Lahore from November 17-21, 2026. The series will also mark Sri Lanka’s first Test mission under the leadership of Kusal Mendis.
Sri Lanka’s updated 15-member Test squad for the Pakistan series Kusal Mendis (Ctain), 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 Oudara.
