Nuwan Pradeep ruled out of World Cup with chickenpox; Rajitha likely replacement

The Sri Lankan team management has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to approve Kasun Rajitha as Pradeep’s replacement.

Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Pradeep has been ruled out of the World Cup with chicken pox.

Sri Lanka suffered a blow on Saturday as its pacer Nuwan Pradeep was ruled out of the World Cup, following a bout of chickenpox.

The Sri Lankan team management has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to approve Kasun Rajitha as Pradeep’s replacement.

The 26-year-old Rajitha has featured in six Tests and ODIs for Sri Lanka and was earlier named as a back-up player for the tournament. With Pradeep ruled out, Rajitha is expected to feature in the fixture against the West Indies on Monday.

Sri Lanka is still in contention for a place in the semifinals despite losing to South Africa on Friday. With six points from seven matches, it needs to win the next two matches against the West Indies and India to keep its hopes alive. But its entry will also depend on other results to go its way, particularly with the low net run-rate.