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Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka has been ruled out of the team’s upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan after failing to recover in time from a left hamstring injury. Sri Lanka’s selection committee has named Lahiru Udara as his replacement ahead of the World Test Championship assignment, which begins in Rawalpindi on November 9.
Nissanka was included in Sri Lanka’s original Test squad subject to medical clearance, but his rehabilitation has not progressed sufficiently for him to return to international cricket. The injury was sustained during Sri Lanka’s white-ball tour of England in September and has kept him out of subsequent assignments.
The opener had already missed the T20I series against Pakistan and the ongoing ODI tri-series involving Pakistan and England. His absence from the Test squad extends a frustrating spell on the sidelines and delays his return to the longest format, where Sri Lanka will need reliable starts against a Pakistan attack playing at home.
According to reports citing Sri Lanka Cricket, the selection committee confirmed that Nissanka would not be fit for the two Tests. The change is a squad replacement rather than a late tactical omission: Nissanka had been named conditionally, with his participation dependent on medical clearance.
Udara has been brought into the Test squad after already joining Sri Lanka’s ODI group in Pakistan. The wicketkeeper-batter has appeared in five Tests and seven T20 internationals for the national side, although he has yet to make his ODI debut.
He made a strong impression in Sri Lanka’s Test series against West Indies in 2026, scoring 188 in Antigua. That innings remains a significant reference point as Udara prepares for another opportunity in red-ball cricket. His inclusion gives the selectors an experienced option in place of Nissanka, even as the team adjusts its opening and middle-order combinations for the Pakistan conditions.
Udara’s selection also avoids the need to bring in a player unfamiliar with the touring environment. He is already in Pakistan with the limited-overs squad and can join the Test group ahead of the first match. Whether he goes straight into the playing XI will depend on team balance and the conditions assessed by the management.
The two Tests form part of the current ICC World Test Championship cycle. The first match is scheduled for the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from November 9 to 13, followed by the second at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from November 17 to 21. Sri Lanka are also scheduled to play a three-day warm-up match at Islamabad Club from November 4 to 6.
Kusal Mendis will lead Sri Lanka in the series, marking his first Test assignment as captain. His leadership group will have to settle on the batting order without Nissanka, whose role at the top of the innings would normally be to help establish a platform against the new ball.
Nissanka’s unavailability removes a specialist top-order batter from Sri Lanka’s options, increasing the importance of the remaining batters producing partnerships early in the innings. Against Pakistan at home, negotiating the opening spell and avoiding early wickets can shape the course of a Test match, particularly before the pitch and ball conditions change.
For Udara, the call-up provides an opportunity to turn his previous international experience and strong Test score into a larger role. For Sri Lanka, the immediate priority is to prepare the replacement and finalise a balanced XI before the Rawalpindi opener. The squad change is confirmed, but the final batting order and Udara’s selection in the playing XI remain decisions for the team management.
