Kusal Mendis appointed Sri Lanka Test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva steps down

Kusal Mendis has been appointed as Sri Lanka's Test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva stepped down from the role with immediate effect. De Silva, who led the side in 18 Tests since January 2024, said it was time to pass the mantle to the next generation. He remains available for selection as a player.

Mendis, already the white-ball captain, will lead the side for the two-match Test series against Pakistan starting in Rawalpindi on November 9. He has played 75 Tests and scored 4,836 runs with 10 centuries. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva thanked Dhananjaya for his leadership and wished him well for the remainder of his career.

De Silva led Sri Lanka to seven wins in 18 Tests as captain. The team has won only one of six matches in the current World Test Championship cycle and is nearly out of contention for the final.