Sri Lanka drops Mathews, Perera for New Zealand T20 series

Sri Lanka on Saturday dropped former captain Angelo Mathews and all-rounder Thisara Perera from the team's Twenty20 (T20) squad for the three-match series against New Zealand.

Veteran pacer Lasith Malinga has been retained captain in the shortest format with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) naming a 15-man squad for the series starting September 1 in Kandy.

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Mathews and Perera, both aged 30, have been left out of the team that has wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella as vice-captain.

Perera played his last T20 against South Africa in March in Johannesburg, whereas Mathews last featured in a T20 match in Colombo against the visiting Proteas side last year.

Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (captain), Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara and Lahiru Madushanka