Kusal Mendis Takes Over As Sri Lanka Test Captain After Dhananjaya Resigns

Sri Lanka have handed their Test captaincy to Kusal Mendis after Dhananjaya de Silva decided to give up the role on Thursday. Mendis, who is already the white-ball captain, will take charge for the first time when Sri Lanka face Pakistan in a two-match Test series in November.

De Silva had been in charge of the Test side since February 2024, leading the team in 18 matches before deciding to step aside recently. He said he wanted to pass on the leadership responsibility to the next generation of players, as they are the future of Sri Lankan cricket.

Talking about Kusal Mendis, he brings plenty of experience to the role, although he has never captained Sri Lanka in Test cricket before. The board has opted for him over other candidates, as he is currently the captain of white-ball teams as well.

Mendis has captained Sri Lanka in 22 ODIs since first taking charge in October 2023, recording 10 wins and 10 defeats. His only stint as T20I captain came during the tour of the West Indies in June this year, where Sri Lanka lost the series 2-1.

In Test cricket, Mendis has scored 4,836 runs in 75 matches, making him Sri Lanka’s 12th-highest run-scorer in the format.

Notably, Mendis will have some time to adjust to his new role before the next World Test Championship cycle, as Sri Lanka are unlikely to finish among the top two teams in the current standings.

It should be noted that Dhananjaya de Silva's decision to leave the captaincy followed a disappointing run of results. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka have performed quite poorly this year, losing 1-0 away to the West Indies and by the same margin against India at home.

With Kusal Mendis now in charge, Sri Lanka will hope to achieve better results when they take on Pakistan in the upcoming Test matches that will commence after the completion of the ODI tri-series.