Sri Lanka all-rounder Dewmi Vihanga has been ruled out of the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup 2026 after suffering a right knee injury, delaying her much-awaited T20I debut.
Meanwhile, Left-arm spinner Nimasha Meepage has been named as Vihanga’s replacement.
Dewmi Vihanga did not travel with the squad to the UAE after picking up an injury to her right knee during a practice game. Meepage, who made her T20I debut in December 2025, has played 14 games for Sri Lanka across formats.
In T20Is, she has six wickets in nine innings at an average of 38.33 and an economy rate of 7.66.
However, the remainder of the squad remains unchanged, with Chamari Athapaththu leading the defending champions and Harshitha Samarawickrama named as her deputy.
Sri Lanka are the winners of the previous edition, having defeated India in the final of the 2024 edition by eight wickets.
Kaushini Nuthyangana will be the only wicketkeeper in the 15-member squad. Sri Lanka’s squad has been bolstered with the return of pacers Mithali Ayodhya and Chethana Vimukthi, who were not part of Sri Lanka’s recent T20I series against Pakistan in Hambantota, which the hosts won by 2-1.
Named in Group B, Sri Lanka will play their group stage games against Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Group B action will take off on August 29 with Sri Lanka going up against the UAE. Then Sri Lanka will play against Indonesia on September 02, and Bangladesh on September 06.
As per the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 schedule, the tournament begins with Group A, with a clash between Hong Kong and Thailand on August 28. The Women’s Asia Cup’s marquee clash between India and Pakistan is scheduled for September 05.
Sri Lanka Squad for Women’s Asia Cup 2026: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Imesha Dulani, Sanjana Kavindi, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama (vc), Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Chamudi Praboda, Chethana Vimukthi, Kavya KavindiMithali Ayodhya, Nimasha Meepage