Wanindu Hasaranga Ruled Out of T20 World Cup 2026 with Hamstring Injury as Sri Lanka Face Crisis

Sri Lanka suffered a crushing blow to their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 10 as star leg-spin all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga was officially ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a hamstring injury sustained during the group stage. The 28-year-old's absence leaves a gaping hole in Sri Lanka's middle order and bowling attack, forcing captain Charith Asalanka to completely reassess his team's strategy for the crucial matches ahead.

Hasaranga, widely regarded as one of the world's premier T20 cricketers, had been instrumental in Sri Lanka's qualification for the tournament and was expected to play a pivotal role in their quest for glory. The all-rounder's ability to take wickets in the middle overs with his wrist spin while providing explosive hitting in the lower middle order made him virtually irreplaceable. His tournament statistics prior to injury had been impressive, and his loss represents not just a tactical setback but a psychological blow to a team that relied heavily on his match-winning capabilities.

The timing of Hasaranga's injury could not be worse for Sri Lanka, who are navigating a competitive group stage where every match carries significant implications for knockout round qualification. Medical staff confirmed that the hamstring strain sustained during training was severe enough to require several weeks of rehabilitation, effectively ending his World Cup campaign. The Sri Lanka Cricket board announced they would not be calling up a replacement, instead choosing to work with the existing squad members to fill the void.

Sri Lanka's coaching staff now faces the difficult task of redistributing Hasaranga's workload among the remaining players. The team will likely turn to experienced leg-spinner Maheesh Theekshana to shoulder more responsibility in the spin department, while middle-order batsmen like Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama may need to take on additional batting duties. The absence of Hasaranga's death-over hitting ability could force Sri Lanka to restructure their entire batting lineup and approach to crucial phases of the game.

The injury also raises questions about Sri Lanka's tournament preparation and player management protocols. Hasaranga has been a workhorse for Sri Lankan cricket across all formats, and some cricket analysts have pointed to the heavy workload as a potential contributing factor to the injury. The all-rounder has played nearly non-stop franchise cricket around the world in recent months, raising concerns about player burnout and the need for better load management in the modern game.

As Sri Lanka regroups following this devastating news, they will need other players to step up and fill the leadership void left by Hasaranga's absence. The team's remaining fixtures in the group stage will test their depth and resilience, with qualification for the knockout rounds now appearing significantly more challenging. For Hasaranga, the focus shifts to recovery and rehabilitation ahead of Sri Lanka's packed international calendar later in 2026.