Dhananjaya De Silva Resigns as Sri Lanka Test Captain

Dhananjaya de Silva has officially stepped down as the captain of the Sri Lankan Test cricket team, expressing his belief that it's time for new leadership. He confirmed his continued availability as a player while reflecting on his tenure, which included notable victories and challenges. De Silva led the team in 18 Tests, achieving seven wins and making significant contributions with both bat and ball. His resignation comes after a series of mixed results, including historic wins and recent defeats. Read on to learn more about his journey and future plans.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 8, 2026, 13:53 IST

Dhananjaya De Silva Steps Down from Captaincy

File image of Sri Lankan player Dhananjaya De Silva(Photo: @SajeewaRathkar2/X)

New Delhi, Oct 8: Dhananjaya de Silva, the captain of the Sri Lankan Test cricket team, has announced his resignation from the position, effective immediately.

In a letter addressed to the selection committee, de Silva expressed his belief that it is time for the next generation to take over the leadership role.

Despite stepping down, he confirmed his availability to continue playing for Sri Lanka. Ashley de Silva, the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket, extended his best wishes to de Silva for his future endeavors, thanking him for his contributions to the Test team.

De Silva took on the captaincy in January 2024, succeeding Dimuth Karunaratne, and led the team in 18 Test matches, achieving victory in seven of them.

During his captaincy, he accumulated 1130 runs at an average of 36.45, including three centuries and seven half-centuries, while also taking nine wickets with a best performance of 2-13.

His captaincy began with a successful Test against Afghanistan in February 2024, where Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets. He also led the team to a 2-0 series victory against Bangladesh away from home.

Under his leadership, Sri Lanka achieved a historic win against England at the Oval, marking their first Test victory on English soil since 2014, although they ultimately lost the series 1-2. Additionally, they secured a 2-0 series win against New Zealand at home.

However, the team faced challenges, losing four consecutive Tests in South Africa and Australia at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. They also suffered a 0-1 defeat against the West Indies away and recently lost to India at home. De Silva's final series as captain concluded with a 0-1 loss to India, where Sri Lanka managed to avoid a whitewash in Colombo thanks to a standout performance from Sonal Dinusha.