"We have to weigh our best options after this series": Sri Lanka chief selector Upul Tharanga ahead of T20 World Cup

New Delhi [India], November 27 (ANI): Sri Lanka chief selector Upul Tharanga stated that the selectors are weighing their options for the upcoming T20 World Cup, keeping the team's best interests in mind as the tournament approaches.
Tharanga said selectors are cautious about making significant changes but will decide on the captaincy after consulting with the coach, prioritising what's best for the team.
Regular T20 skipper Charith Asalanka missed out on the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan owing to illness. Former captain and seasoned all-rounder Dasun Shanaka took over the reins for the tri-series in Pakistan.
"We have to weigh our best options after this series," said Tharanga, when asked whether the selectors were considering a change in captaincy. "With a World Cup so close, we can't make a lot of big changes. The selectors, after talking to the coach, will have to make a decision on what's best for the team," Tharanga said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Asalanka has had a very quiet outing with the bat this year, having scored only 156 runs in 12 innings this year, with a strike rate of 122.
"Charith hasn't been among the runs in T20S, and because of an illness, he was forced to return home, unfortunately. He had a viral fever, and he had body aches," Tharanga said of Asalanka. "The physio told us that it's hard for him to predict when Charith would get better, and that's why we had to make that decision."
Tharanga also praised Asalanka as a very talented cricketer with a lot of experience and stated that he is in their plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup next year.
"Charith is a very talented cricketer, with a lot of experience. I'm sure he'll be an important cricketer for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup. We've seen what he can do in the middle order, where sometimes he's won games by himself. He's in our World Cup plans," Tharanga said.
The 10th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup will begin on February 7, 2026, with the 20-team tournament running through the final on March 8. The 20-team tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka across 29 days and eight venues (five in India and three in Sri Lanka). (ANI)