Sri Lanka suffered a major scare during the Women's Asia Cup final against India as Vishmi Gunaratne appeared to twist her right ankle while fielding. The incident occurred during Chamari Athapaththu's over when Shafali Verma played a shot towards deep mid-wicket. Gunaratne collected the throw but appeared to awkwardly twist her ankle while releasing the ball, immediately going down in pain.
The Sri Lankan batter was visibly distressed as she remained on the ground, prompting the physio to rush onto the field. After assessing the injury, the medical staff attempted to help Gunaratne back to her feet. However, she was seen limping heavily and appeared unable to put much weight on her injured right leg.
The situation quickly became more concerning when a stretcher was brought onto the field to assist Gunaratne. The Sri Lankan player was eventually helped off the field as her teammates and support staff looked on. Her injury came at a crucial stage of the Women's Asia Cup final, adding to Sri Lanka's concerns during the contest.
The exact nature and severity of Gunaratne's injury were not immediately known. The incident will be closely monitored by the Sri Lankan team, particularly with Gunaratne being an important part of their batting and fielding unit. Any prolonged absence could be a significant setback for Sri Lanka, depending on the extent of the ankle injury.
