Sri Lankan all-rounder Dewmi Vihanga will miss the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 due to a right knee injury. Left-arm spinner Nimasha Meepage will take her place in the 15-member squad. The tournament takes place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from August 28 to September 13.
Chamari Athapaththu will captain the defending champions and Harshitha Samarawickrama will serve as vice-captain. Kaushini Nuthyangana is the only wicketkeeper in the revised squad. Sri Lanka will begin their title defence against the hosts, UAE, on August 29, 2026.
<
🚨Injury concerns for Sri Lanka ahead of Women’s Asia Cup 2026
Dewmi Vihanga has not travelled with the team after sustaining a right knee injury during a team practice game
Hence, Nimasha Meepage has been added as Vihanga’s replacement in the squad #SriLanka #AsiaCup
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) August 25, 2026
h2>How Dewmi Vihanga got injured
Vihanga hurt her right knee during a team practice match before the squad travelled. The injury prevented her from flying with the rest of the Sri Lankan team to the UAE. Because of this, she must wait longer to make her senior international T20 debut. Cricket officials have not released the exact date of the practice match or specific details of her knee injury.
Medical assessments confirmed that Vihanga could not recover in time to participate in the matches, which forced her to remain behind in Colombo. The team selection committee reacted quickly to find Vihanga’s replacement in the team.
Nimasha Meepage Replaced Injured Vihanga
Nimasha Meepage replaced Vihanga in the squad. Meepage made her T20 International (T20I) debut in December 2025. She has played 14 times for Sri Lanka across all cricket formats. She has taken 6 wickets in her 9 T20I matches. She maintained a bowling average of 38.33 and an economy rate of 7.66 runs per over.
The left-arm spinner joins experienced players such as Vishmi Gunaratne, Sugandika Kumari, and Sanjana Kavindi. Sri Lanka’s squad also boasts fast bowlers Mithali Ayodhya and Chethana Vimukthi, who return to the side after missing the recent 2-1 T20I series win against Pakistan.
Sri Lanka’s Tournament Schedule and Title Defense
The 10th edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup will start from August 28 to September 13. This marks the first time the UAE has hosted the event. All matches will take place at the Dubai International Stadium. The tournament divides the teams into two groups. Group A: India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Indonesia.
Sri Lanka enters the tournament as the defending champions. They won their maiden Asia Cup title in 2024 when they defeated seven-time winners India in the final in Dambulla. And they will play their Group B matches in the following order:
August 29, 2026
Sri Lanka vs. UAE
September 2, 2026
Sri Lanka vs. Indonesia
September 6, 2026
Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh
The top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals on September 10 and 11. The final will be held on September 13, 2026.
For more Cricket news and updates, follow Mostbet Blog
