Sri Lanka call up veteran pacer Fernando for T20Is against India

Veteran fast bowler Dilhara Fernando was on Thursday recalled in the Dinesh Chandimal-led injury-hit Sri Lankan side that will take on hosts India in the forthcoming three-match Twenty20 International series starting on February 9.

The 36-year-old Fernando last played for his national side way back in 2012. He turned out for 40 Tests, 141 One-Day Internationals and 17 T20 Internationals for the country.

T20I captain Lasith Malinga will miss out due to injury, along with all-rounder Angelo Mathews, seamer Nuwan Kulasekara and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.

The experienced players are expected to get fit ahead of the Asia Cup.

Malinga is still recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of the tour of New Zealand.

Leg-spinnning all-rounder Seekkuge Prasanna also makes a comeback to the side.

Pune is scheduled to host the first match on February 9 followed by Delhi and Visakhapatnam on February 12 and 14 respectively.

The T20I series will be followed by Asia Cup which will be hosted by Bangladesh in first ever T20 format and then lined up is the much-awaited World Twenty20 in March-April in India.

Sri Lanka lost the T20Is against New Zealand earlier this month 0-2.

Squad: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Seekuge Prasanna, Milinda Siriwardana, Danushka Gunathilaka, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Asela Gunaratne, Chamara Kapugedera, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilhara Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Binura Fernando, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeffrey Vandersay.