Dinesh Chandimal has surgery after injuring hand

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal has had surgery after being struck on the hand while playing a domestic match last week.

Chandimal suffered "multiple dislocations around the right thumb area" after he was hit during a Mercantile tournament match. The recovery period for the injury is three weeks and the Sri Lanka team management said that Chandimal is expected to be fit for the team's tour of Zimbabwe in October and November. Although the schedule for the tour has not yet been announced, the first Test is likely to begin on October 29.

Chandimal's, Sri Lanka's vice-captain, was also the side's designated wicketkeeper during the recent home Test series against Australia. He struck a crucial 132 in the first innings of the Colombo Test to lead Sri Lanka from 26 for 5 to an eventual 163-run win that helped them sweep the series 3-0.

Chandimal has also been prolific this year, making 1451 runs from 36 matches across formats including four centuries. He also scored five successive ODI fifties between June and August this year, but missed out on becoming the first Sri Lanka batsman to score six consecutive fifties when he was dismissed for 48 in the second ODI against Australia.

He also stood in as captain during a part of the ODI and T20I series against Australia, after Angelo Mathews suffered a calf injury.