3 reasons why Wanindu Hasaranga's absence will not be a huge blow for Sri Lanka in the 2023 World Cup

Sri Lanka announced their final 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup earlier this week. The squad was on predicted lines, bearing a lot of similarity to the one that took part in the recently concluded Asia Cup.

The team though has been bolstered by the return of pacers Dilshan Madhushanka and Lahiru Kumara who missed the Asia Cup owing to injuries.

However, Sri Lanka have suffered a major blow with the absence of two important players, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera. They continue to recover from their respective injuries and will miss the quadrennial event.

According to pundits, Hasaranga's absence will largely affect Dasun Shanaka and company, since he has been a crucial part of the team in recent times. He played a vital role in the World Cup Qualifiers which Sri Lanka won in July.

However, contrary to the general idea, Hasaranga's absence might not be as big a blow as it seems. Let us take a look at three reasons behind it.

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#1 Capable replacements

Sri Lanka have some talented players in their ranks who can get the job done in the absence of Hasaranga. As far as spin bowling is concerned, Shanka will have the likes of Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, and Dushan Hemantha at his disposal.

Moreover, the Lankan skipper can also turn to Dhananjaya de Silva and Charith Asalanka who have done well with the ball in recent times.

There is no doubt that Hasaranga is a capable batter too but Sri Lanka can rely on the young Wellalage to deliver on that front. He recently impressed in the Asia Cup, scoring an unbeaten 46 against India in tough conditions. Thus, the Hasarangas-sized hole can be plugged.

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#2 Mixed returns in India

Wanindu Hasaranga's numbers in India suggest that he has not had a great time in the country with the ball in hand. In 26 IPL games, he has picked up 35 wickets, which seems impressive. However, 26 of those wickets came in IPL 2022.

He struggled big time in the 2021 and 2023 editions of the cash-rich league. In 2021, he scalped nine wickets in eight games at an economy rate of close to nine. This year, he failed to pick up a single wicket in his two games.

Coming to international cricket, he has played three ODIs in India, failing to pick up even one wicket. Even in T20Is in India, his numbers are not impressive. As such, it is safe to say that Sri Lanka might not be missing out on too much.

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#3 Overall ODI record against big teams

Hasaranga's overall numbers in ODIs are pretty good but his performances against premier teams leave a lot to be desired. In three games against defending champion England, he has picked up just one wicket. Against hosts India, he has a tally of four wickets in eight games. Against New Zealand, the leg-spinner has not opened his account in two matches.

Against the likes of Pakistan and South Africa, too, his returns are also ordinary, which suggests that his numbers have been boosted courtesy of his performances against weaker sides. That is absolutely true as he has done really well against the likes of Oman, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and the UAE.

Keeping this argument in mind, it would have been wrong to expect too much from Hasaranga in the World Cup. Thus, his unavailability is not a problem for Sri Lanks.