Sri Lanka ODI captain and Colombo Caps skipper Kusal Mendis has been ruled out of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 due to a hamstring injury.
The wicket-keeper batter picked up the injury during Caps’ fixture against Kandy Royals, which they eventually won by six wickets.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed the injury in a media release, saying that Mendis will complete his rehab at the National High Performance Center.
“Mendis sustained a right hamstring injury while attempting a run during the Colombo Kaps’ match against the Kandy Royals on 19 July at the SSC, Colombo,” an SLC media release said.
“Accordingly, he will return to the National High Performance Centre to commence his rehabilitation program.”
In his absence, Kamindu Mendis will lead Colombo Kaps for the remaining tournament.
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The injury comes at a crucial juncture for Sri Lanka, who are set to play India in a two-match series, set to commence on 15 August. Mendis is the lynchpin of the Islanders’ batting lineup across formats, and was expected to keep wickets in the upcoming series. However, there is no confirmation yet on how long the injury will keep him out.
Before the injury, Mendis had been in excellent form. He scored 79 in the opening match against Galle Gallants. Earlier this year, he also amassed 550 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 168.19 in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.
For the national side, since the start of 2026, Mendis has scored 408 runs in 14 innings across formats at a rate of 130.35. In ODIs, he has amassed 211 runs in four innings at an average of 70.33.
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