COLOMBO (Kashmir English): Following the resignation of all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board named Kusal Mendis as the new captain of the national Test team.
Kusal Mendis, the 31-year-old captain of the ODI and T20 teams, will now lead Sri Lanka across all three formats. To date, Mendis has scored 4,836 runs in 75 Test matches at an average of 36.36, including 10 centuries and 23 half-centuries.
Kusal Mendis’s first test as Test captain will be the two-match series against Pakistan starting next month; the opening match is scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi from November 9.
Meanwhile, 35-year-old Dhananjaya de Silva stated in a letter to the selection committee that it was his sincere belief that the responsibility of leadership should now be passed on to the next generation. However, he will remain available for selection as a player.
De Silva had taken over the Test captaincy from Dimuth Karunaratne in January 2024 and led Sri Lanka in 18 Test matches, with the team securing victories in seven of them. Read more: Sri Lanka Cricket hosts event in honor of Mohsin Naqvi, paying tribute to his services.
Sri Lanka currently sits in seventh place on the World Test Championship points table, having recently faced a defeat against the West Indies and a series loss to India on home soil. De Silva has represented Sri Lanka in 69 Test matches to date and is counted among the team’s experienced players.
