Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have unveiled a new Test captain as Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down as the skipper with immediate effect.
As a result, keeper-batter Kusal Mendis will succeed him, with the white-ball portfolios already under his belt.
Sri Lanka Cricket Ashley de Silva thanks Dhananjaya de Silva for his contributions as the Test captain
De Silva was appointed Sri Lanka’s Test captain in January 2024.
In a letter addressed to Sri Lanka’s selection committee, de Silva said he believed the responsibility should now be passed on to the next generation.
“It’s my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation,” he said.
De Silva confirmed that he would remain available for selection as a player for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva thanked him for his contributions to the team in the longest format.
“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes him the very best for the remainder of his career and thanks him for the leadership he provided to our Test team,” Ashley de Silva said.
De Silva led Sri Lanka in 18 Tests after taking over from Dimuth Karunaratne, guiding the island nation to seven victories during his tenure.
As a captain, de Silva scored 1130 runs at an average of 36.45 and took nine wickets at a bowling average of 44.44. De Silva stepped down during a mixed run for Sri Lanka’s Test team, which has lost both series played this year by 1-0, against the West Indies and India. Overall, Sri Lanka won seven, lost eight and drew three Tests under his captaincy.
De Silva’s most successful year as captain was 2024, when Sri Lanka won a two-Test series 2-0 in Bangladesh, secured a victory at The Oval despite losing the England series 2-1, and then beat New Zealand 2-0 at home.
When is Sri Lanka’s next Test assignment?
Sri Lanka’s next Test assignment will be the Pakistan tour in November for two Tests, with both matches set to be hosted by the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. Before that, the Lankans will play three T20Is against Pakistan, followed by an ODI tri-series against Pakistan and England.
Sri Lanka were once placed well in the 2025-27 cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) but the 1-0 series loss to India has left them a mountain to climb if they are play in the final.