Kusal Mendis ruled out of Lanka Premier League 2026 due to hamstring injury

Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain Kusal Mendis has been ruled out of the ongoing Lanka Premier League 2026 (LPL 2026) due to an injury. Mendis injured his hamstring during Colombo Kaps' fixture against Kandy Royals on Sunday, July 19.

Kaps won the match by six wickets after chasing down 180 in 19.4 overs. In his place, Kamindu Mendis will take over the leadership duties of Colombo Kaps for the rest of the season while Kusal will begin his rehabilitation at the National High Performance Centre.

"Mendis sustained a right hamstring injury while attempting a run during the Colombo Kaps' match against the Kandy Royals on 19 July at the SSC, Colombo. Accordingly, he will return to the National High Performance Centre to commence his rehabilitation program,” said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in a media release.

Kusal Mendis’ injury doesn’t only come as a major blow to Kaps but also to Sri Lanka, who are set to play India in a two-match home Test series, beginning on August 15. He’s a key member of Sri Lanka's side across formats and was expected to take up wicketkeeping duties against India. However, there is no official confirmation yet on the severity of his injury or how long he is likely to be sidelined.

The injury has halted an important phase in Mendis’ career as he was in rich form both at the franchise and international level. Before his injury, he scored a brilliant 53-ball 79 in the Kaps' opening fixture against Galle Gallants.

Kusal Mendis' rich form

Earlier, in the Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026), he finished as the tournament’s second-highest run scorer with 550 runs from 11 innings, playing a key role in Peshawar Zalmi’s title triumph.

For Sri Lanka, since the start of 2026, he's struck 408 runs across 14 T20I innings at a rate of 130.35. In ODIs, his four innings this year have brought 211 runs at an average of 70.33. Meanwhile, Colombo Kaps are reeling at the second-to-last spot (fourth) in the LPL 2026 points table with two points from three matches. They will next take on Kandy Falcons on Thursday, July 23.