The hosts also left out Akila Dananjaya for Praveen Jayawickrama
Toss Sri Lanka chose to bat vs South Africa
Kusal tested positive for Covid last month and was included in Sri Lanka’s squad for the ODIs against South Africa but only received medical clearance to play from this match. He also missed out on the home series against India in July, with a shoulder injury. Avishka Fernando, Sri Lanka’s second highest run-scorer from the ODIs, was left out to make room for Kusal.
South Africa’s only change came in the top five, where David Miller was forced out because of a thigh strain. Rassie van der Dussen, who sat out on Friday with a hamstring niggle, came into the team.
Sri Lanka: 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Praveen Jayawickrama
South Africa: 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk) 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 Dwaine Pretorius, 7 Keshav Maharaj (capt), 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Bjorn Fortuin, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent