Dhananjaya de Silva Resigns as Sri Lanka Test Captain, Eyes Future Generations

Dhananjaya de Silva Steps Down from Captaincy

Colombo [Sri Lanka], October 8: Dhananjaya de Silva has officially resigned from his role as the captain of the Sri Lankan Test cricket team, effective immediately, as reported by the ICC.

De Silva took on the captaincy in January 2024, leading the team through various challenges.

In a communication to the selection committee, he expressed his belief that it is time for the leadership to transition to the younger players.

“I genuinely feel that the responsibility should be handed over to the next generation,” he stated.

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.

“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes him all the best for his future endeavors and appreciates the leadership he provided to our Test squad,” Ashley de Silva remarked.

During his tenure, de Silva captained Sri Lanka in 18 Test matches, achieving seven victories.

As captain, he accumulated 1,130 runs with an average of 36.45 and took nine wickets at an average of 44.44.

His resignation comes after a challenging period for the Test team, which faced defeats in both series this year, losing 1-0 to both the West Indies and India. Overall, under his leadership, Sri Lanka recorded seven wins, eight losses, and three draws.

De Silva's most notable success as captain occurred in 2024, when Sri Lanka triumphed in a two-Test series against Bangladesh, won at The Oval despite a 2-1 series loss to England, and secured a 2-0 victory over New Zealand at home.