Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed Kusal Mendis as the new captain of the Sri Lanka Test cricket team. Mendis takes over the leadership role following discussions conducted by the selection committee, succeeding Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down from the captaincy earlier today.
Sri Lanka Cricket announced this morning that Dhananjaya de Silva relinquished his leadership duties to pass the responsibility to the next generation. Despite vacating the captaincy, de Silva will continue his career with the Sri Lankan team strictly as a player.
Mendis will assume his captaincy duties immediately, leading the national side in their upcoming Test series against Pakistan. The experienced top-order batsman enters the leadership position with an established international Test record, having played 75 Test matches and scored 4,836 runs, an aggregate that features 10 centuries and 23 half-centuries.
Key Developments
- Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed Kusal Mendis as the new Test captain following formal selection committee discussions.
- Dhananjaya de Silva stepped down from the captaincy to facilitate a transition to the next generation, confirming he will remain active as a player.
- Mendis’s first assignment at the helm will be leading Sri Lanka in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.
- Mendis brings a record of 75 Tests, 4,836 runs, 10 hundreds, and 23 fifties into his new role.
The leadership transition marks a definitive shift for Sri Lanka Cricket as the team prepares for its next red-ball challenge against Pakistan with Mendis steering the squad.