Colombo, September 17, 2026: Sri Lanka’s preparations for the women’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games have suffered a setback after middle-order batter Nilakshika Silva was ruled out with a fractured finger, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed.

Silva was an important contributor during Sri Lanka’s recent Women’s Asia Cup campaign, where she emerged as the team’s leading run-scorer and helped the side reach the tournament final. Sri Lanka ultimately finished as runners-up after losing the final to India.

Her absence comes at an important stage for Sri Lanka, which is preparing for the women’s cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan. The team is among the higher-seeded sides in the eight-team knockout competition.

Sri Lanka will begin its Asian Games campaign against Malaysia on September 18.

Silva is not the only player unavailable to Sri Lanka. Spinner-allrounder Dewmi Vihanga is also sidelined after suffering a knee injury before the Asia Cup. The combination of the two absences has forced the Sri Lankan selectors to make changes to the squad shortly before the tournament.

Sri Lanka Cricket has subsequently confirmed last-minute replacements in the women’s squad, with Hansima Karunaratne and Anushka Sanjeewani joining the team in place of injured players.

Despite the changes, Sri Lanka enters the competition following a strong recent run in international women’s cricket. The team will now have to adjust its batting and overall combination before its opening Asian Games fixture.

The injury to Silva is particularly significant because of her recent contribution with the bat. Sri Lanka will be hoping its revised squad can maintain the momentum generated during the Asia Cup and compete strongly in the Asian Games tournament.