Kusal Mendis named Sri Lanka Test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva steps down
Mendis takes over the Test captaincy from de Silva, who resigned after 18 matches and stays available as a player.
Kusal Mendis has been appointed Sri Lanka's Test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva resigned with immediate effect. Sri Lanka Cricket's selection committee confirmed the appointment at its headquarters on October 8. Mendis, already the white-ball captain, will lead the side for the two-Test series in Pakistan that begins in Rawalpindi on November 9.
De Silva led Sri Lanka in 18 Tests since taking over from Dimuth Karunaratne in January 2024, winning seven of them. He scored 1,130 runs at an average of 36.45 and took nine wickets during his tenure. The 35-year-old remains available for selection as a player and cited the need to hand leadership to the next generation in his resignation letter.
Mendis has played 75 Tests and scored 4,836 runs with 10 centuries. Sri Lanka won one of their six World Test Championship matches under de Silva and now sit near the bottom of the table.
CricHubb Take
The timing removes any pressure on Mendis in the current World Test Championship cycle. He inherits a side that has already lost its chance to reach the final.