Dhananjaya de Silva Resigns as Sri Lanka Test Captain

Dhananjaya de Silva Resigns from Captaincy

Dhananjaya de Silva has officially resigned as the captain of the Sri Lankan Test cricket team, effective immediately, as reported by the ICC. He took on the role in January 2024. In his communication to the selection committee, de Silva expressed his belief that it is time for the leadership to transition to the younger players. He stated, "I genuinely feel that the responsibility should be handed over to the next generation."

Future Participation as a Player

Despite stepping down, de Silva confirmed his availability for selection as a player for the national team. Sri Lanka Cricket's CEO, Ashley de Silva, expressed gratitude for his contributions to the Test format, stating, "Sri Lanka Cricket wishes him all the best for his future endeavors and appreciates the leadership he provided to our Test squad."

Overview of De Silva's Captaincy

During his tenure, de Silva captained Sri Lanka in 18 Test matches, succeeding Dimuth Karunaratne. Under his leadership, the team achieved seven victories. He accumulated 1130 runs at an average of 36.45 and took nine wickets with a bowling average of 44.44.

His resignation comes at a challenging time for the Sri Lankan Test team, which has faced defeats in both series this year, losing 1-0 to both the West Indies and India. Overall, under de Silva's captaincy, the team recorded seven wins, eight losses, and three draws.

Key Achievements During His Captaincy

The highlight of de Silva's captaincy was in 2024, when Sri Lanka secured a 2-0 series victory against Bangladesh, triumphed at The Oval despite a 2-1 series loss to England, and defeated New Zealand 2-0 at home.