Injured Muralitharan may miss Twenty20s

Muttiah Muralitharan has expressed doubts over his participation in the two Twenty20s against India after damaging ligaments in his bowling hand.

"I suffered the injury when I was playing football. I got hit and two ligaments are damaged in the fingers," he said. "I was bowling with the injury the whole of yesterday [the third day's play in Mumbai]. It will take a few days to recover. I am not sure whether I will be fit for the Twenty20s but I should be okay for the one-dayers."

The Sri Lankan team regularly indulge in a game of volley football after a day's play as a means of keeping the team unity together. According to the manager Brendon Kuruppu, the players decide when to play it. "Especially when you come out on tours of this nature there is nothing the players can do once they get back to their hotel so they play a few games to keep the team unity together," he said.

Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, injured the second and third fingers of his right hand during the on-going third Test but showed no discomfort while bowling 51 overs to take 4 for 195 runs during India's innings.

The two Twenty20s are scheduled to take place on December 9 in Nagpur and December 12 in Mohali. The five-match ODI series starts on December 15.