Daijiworld Media Network - Colombo
Colombo, Oct 8: Kusal Mendis has been appointed Sri Lanka's new Test captain, replacing Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down from the position on Thursday, citing a desire to hand over the leadership to the next generation.
Mendis' first assignment as Test captain will be Sri Lanka's two-Test series against Pakistan in November.
De Silva led Sri Lanka in 18 Tests between February 2024 and August 2026. Despite stepping down as captain, he remains available for selection.
Mendis, who has not previously captained Sri Lanka in Test cricket, is among the country's most experienced international players. He has frequently led the ODI side in short-term capacities and was appointed permanent white-ball captain in May this year.
Since first leading Sri Lanka in ODIs in October 2023, Mendis has captained the team in 22 matches, recording 10 wins and 10 defeats. His only T20I captaincy assignment came during Sri Lanka's tour of the West Indies in June, where the visitors lost the series 2-1.
The 31-year-old has played 75 Tests and scored 4,836 runs, making him Sri Lanka's 12th-highest run-scorer in the format.
With Sri Lanka almost certainly out of contention for a top-two finish in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, Mendis will have an opportunity to settle into his new role before the next cycle begins.
De Silva's resignation comes after a difficult period for Sri Lanka's Test side. The team has lost both of its Test series in 2026, going down 1-0 in the West Indies before suffering the same result at home against India. Under De Silva, Sri Lanka recorded seven wins, eight defeats and three draws in 18 Tests.
A major challenge during De Silva's tenure was the limited number of Test matches available to Sri Lanka. After completing a 1-0 home series victory over Bangladesh in June 2025, Sri Lanka went without a Test match for an entire year.
The current World Test Championship cycle also includes only 12 Tests for Sri Lanka, the minimum number among the competing teams. De Silva had repeatedly highlighted the difficulties such a limited schedule creates, particularly for players specialising in Test cricket.