Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal Pulls Out of Chattogram Test Due to Family Emergency

The Sri Lanka Cricket board announced on social media that Dinesh Chandimal has withdrawn from the ongoing second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. The announcement came just before the start of the fourth day’s play.

According to the statement, Chandimal has had to leave the team with immediate effect due to a ‘family medical emergency’.

In spite of this setback, the Sri Lankan team has shown a commendable batting performance in the Test match. They achieved a unique feat in Chattogram, setting a Test record. #BANvSL | #WTC25 Read more

The board’s statement further added, “The player will return home immediately. Sri Lanka Cricket, his teammates, and the coaching staff fully support Dinesh Chandimal in this difficult time and request the public to respect his and his family’s privacy.”

Chandimal played a significant role in the first innings, scoring 59 runs and contributing to his team’s impressive total of 531. He was one of the six Sri Lankan batters to score a half-century in this innings, a rare achievement.

Interestingly, despite the high total, none of the Sri Lankan batters managed to score a century. This resulted in the highest-ever total in a Test innings without a hundred.

ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 Standings

Chandimal’s absence is unlikely to affect Sri Lanka’s chances of a favourable outcome in Chattogram. In their second innings, the visitors declared at 157/7, setting Bangladesh a challenging target of 511 runs on the fourth day.

At lunch, Bangladesh were 31 for no loss, facing a daunting task ahead.

Sri Lanka currently leads the two-match ICC World Test Championship series 1-0, having secured a victory by 328 runs in Sylhet. Both teams are tied at No.6 on the current WTC25 standings with 12 points in three games and a points percentage of 33.33.