Kusal Mendis Takes Over as Sri Lanka's New Test Captain

Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed Kusal Mendis as the new Test captain, succeeding Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down to allow for a new generation of leadership. Mendis, who already leads the ODI and T20I teams, will take charge for the upcoming Test series in Pakistan. De Silva, who has played 69 Tests and scored over 4,400 runs, will remain available for selection as a player. This transition marks a significant moment for Sri Lankan cricket as they look to the future.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 9, 2026, 00:23 IST

Kusal Mendis Appointed as Test Captain

On Thursday, Sri Lanka Cricket announced the appointment of Kusal Mendis as the new captain for the Test team, following Dhananjaya de Silva's immediate resignation from the role.

Mendis will lead the team for the upcoming two-match Test series in Pakistan next month, marking his debut as Test captain, although he has already been at the helm for the ODI and T20I teams.

At 31 years old, Mendis has played 75 Test matches and has a total of 343 international appearances across all formats.

De Silva, who expressed a desire to hand over leadership to the younger players, has participated in 69 Tests, amassing over 4,400 runs, including 13 centuries.

Despite stepping down, he will still be available for selection as a player.

In a letter to the selection committee, De Silva stated, 'I genuinely believe that the leadership should transition to the next generation.'

Ashley de Silva, the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket, expressed gratitude towards De Silva for his contributions in the Test format.

He remarked, 'Sri Lanka Cricket wishes him all the best for the rest of his career and appreciates the leadership he provided to our Test team.'

De Silva captained Sri Lanka in 18 Tests after succeeding Dimuth Karunaratne, leading the team to victory in seven matches.

During his captaincy, he scored 1,130 runs at an average of 36.45 and also took nine wickets.