Sri Lanka captain Upul Tharanga banned for two matches

Courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: Sri Lanka skipper Upul Tharanga has been suspended from next two ODIs against India due to his team's slow over-rate on Thursday. 

Chamara Kapugedera has been chosen as the interim captain for the two games.

The right hand-left hand combination of Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne has been recalled to the ODI squad courtesy Tharanga's unavailability. 

Sri Lanka are trailing 2-0 in the five-match ODI series at home, and losing their captain for the crucial third game is the last thing they needed right now.

India snatched victory from the jaws of defeat during the second ODI in Kandy. 

The hosts had managed to pull things back brilliantly after a successful opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. 

They picked 7 wickets for 22 runs and finally looked on the verge of winning their first game of the tour. However, it was not to be. MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar scripted a composed comeback for the Indian side and stitched a century partnership to take India home.

The more they played, the more it frustrated the Sri Lankan team and captain. It ended with a slow over-rate for the former and a suspension.

Tharanga was banned for slow over-rate earlier this year as well, when he led the side in the absence of Angelo Mathews in the opening game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.