Former captain Kusal Perera returns to the Sri Lankan side for the upcoming home limited-overs matches against South Africa, after he had missed the series against India due to injury. 

Dasun Shanaka’s team are going to host the Proteas in a 3-ODI and 3-T20I series from September 2 to 14; all the matches are slotted at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Perera had been hit by a double blow in the past couple of months. First, he was ruled out of the India matches in July due to a shoulder injury; then, in mid-August, the left-hander was tested positive for covid-19 and was put in isolation.

Ahead of the India series, he was replaced by Shanaka as the new white-ball captain after failing to win a single game on Sri Lanka’s tour of England. However, Perera remains a key batter at the top.

Sri Lanka are coming on the back of a T20I series win over India, although the opposition was depleted to their third-string side after a covid-19 outbreak. Before that, they had lost the ODI series to a second-string Indian outfit.

Temba Bavuma’s team are coming with a form on their side – after defeating West Indies in a T20I series, and then Ireland in ODI and T20I series.

Currently, the 3 ODIs and 3 T2Is between the two teams are supposed to be the last international games before the T20 World Cup they would play as some of the players from both teams will go to the IPL.

Sri Lanka squad to face South Africa:

Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Dhananjaya De Silva (Vice Captain), Kusal Janith Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kamindu Mendis, Minod Bhanuka, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Nuwan Pradeep, Binura Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananjaya, Praveen Jayawickrema, Lahiru Kumara, Lahiru Madushanka, Pulina Tharanga, Maheesh Theekshana