Sri Lanka sweating over Mendis’ fitness

Sri Lanka is hoping off spinner Ajantha Mendis regains complete fitness for their Twenty20 World Cup Super Eight match against New Zealand on Thursday in Kandy after suffering a side strain during hosts’ opening win against Zimbabwe last week.

Mendis, who starred in their win against Zimbabwe with six wickets for eight runs before going off the field, was left out of the rain-curtailed group defeat against South Africa on Saturday.

“We took an MRI scan on his left side, and it showed a slight tear,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Sri Lanka manager Charith Senanayake, as saying.

“Mendis bowled a few overs at the nets today, but we will monitor him carefully and take a call whether he is fit enough to play against New Zealand,” he added, ANI reports.