Sri Lanka have suffered a major setback on the eve of the ODI tri-series in Pakistan, with star opening batter Pathum Nissanka ruled out of the tournament through a hamstring injury. The right-hander sustained the injury to his left thigh during Sri Lanka's recent tour of England, and it had already forced him to miss the three-match T20I series against Pakistan earlier this month. The selectors had hoped he would recover in time for the 50-over competition, but his rehabilitation did not progress enough for him to return to international action. It is a cruel blow for a batter who has been Sri Lanka's most reliable top-order performer in white-ball cricket.

Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed on Thursday that Nissanka had not received medical clearance to resume competitive cricket, and announced that Lahiru Udara would join the squad as his replacement in the 16-member touring party. Udara, who also featured in the recently concluded T20I series against Pakistan, is yet to make his ODI debut but brings solid first-class and List A credentials to the squad. His List A record reads 3,017 runs in 102 matches at an average of 32.09, with three centuries and 21 half-centuries. The opening combination he will form with Avishka Fernando now becomes one of the biggest talking points of Sri Lanka's campaign.

The timing of the injury could hardly be worse for Sri Lanka. The seven-match tri-series, which also involves England, begins on Sunday 18 October at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with the hosts Pakistan taking on the visitors. Under Kusal Mendis's captaincy, Sri Lanka had been banking on Nissanka to counter Pakistan's new-ball pace attack, one of the tournament's most dangerous units. His absence forces a reshuffle at the top and hands Pakistan's bowlers a clear early advantage. For fantasy players planning around this Pak vs Sri ODI tri-series overview, Nissanka is now a name to strike off team sheets before the opener.

Udara's promotion to the squad gives Sri Lanka an interesting, if untested, option. He has represented the national side in five Test matches and seven T20 Internationals, so the dressing room and touring environment hold no surprises for him. What remains unknown is how his game translates to 50-over cricket at the highest level, particularly against a pace attack operating in familiar home conditions. Sri Lanka's management will have to decide quickly whether to back him straight into the starting eleven for the Rawalpindi opener or keep him as cover for the top order.

Beyond the opener, the injury also shapes Sri Lanka's middle-order planning. With Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka filling out the batting, the loss of a set opener puts extra responsibility on the likes of Avishka Fernando to anchor the innings. The bowling group, led by Maheesh Theekshana's spin and Dushmantha Chameera's pace, remains Sri Lanka's strongest card. Anyone building teams for this fixture should revisit our Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Dream11 preview, which breaks down captaincy options and value picks for the tournament opener.

For Pakistani fans, Nissanka's absence removes one of the most dangerous batters Sri Lanka could have fielded, and it makes the hosts' fast-bowling plans for Sunday notably simpler. But Sri Lanka have a history of unearthing capable replacements on tour, and the visitors will take confidence from having pushed Pakistan in parts of the T20I series earlier this month. As always, final playing elevens and toss details are best tracked through our PAK vs SL Dream11 prediction for the latest fixtures, which we update as squads and conditions become clearer through the tournament.