Kusal Mendis Takes Over as Sri Lanka's New Test Captain
Kusal Mendis Appointed as Test Captain
File image of new Test Captain of Sri Lanka, Kusal Mendis(Photo: @Cricketwithme15/X)
New Delhi, Oct 8: Kusal Mendis has been named the new Test captain of Sri Lanka, succeeding Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down from his role as Test leader.
Mendis, who is already at the helm for the white-ball formats, will begin his Test captaincy with a two-match series against Pakistan scheduled for November.
The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Selection Committee made the decision during a meeting held at their headquarters on Thursday. Mendis has an impressive record, having played 75 Tests and amassed 4,836 runs, including 10 centuries and 23 fifties.
Earlier this year in May, he was appointed as the captain for white-ball formats, taking over from Charith Asalanka in ODIs and Dasun Shanaka in T20Is.
Dhananjaya de Silva announced his resignation from the Test captaincy earlier today, stating in a letter to the selection committee that he believes it is time for the next generation to take charge.
Despite stepping down, de Silva confirmed his availability to continue playing for the national team. Sri Lanka Cricket's CEO, Ashley de Silva, expressed gratitude for de Silva's leadership and wished him well for his future endeavors.
De Silva had been leading the Test team since January 2024, having taken over from Dimuth Karunaratne. Under his captaincy, Sri Lanka won seven out of 18 Tests, scoring 1,130 runs at an average of 36.45, which included three centuries and seven fifties, along with nine wickets taken.