Kusal Mendis appointed Sri Lanka Test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva resigns

Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down as Sri Lanka’s Test captain and Kusal Mendis will take over, the country’s cricket board said on Thursday. De Silva will remain available for selection.

Mendis, 31, already serves as Sri Lanka’s one-day and T20 captain. He has played 75 Tests, scoring 4,836 runs at an average of 36.36. His Test record includes 10 centuries and 23 fifties.

De Silva, 35, succeeded Dimuth Karunaratne as Test captain in January 2024. He led Sri Lanka in 18 Tests and recorded seven wins during his tenure. "It's my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation," de Silva said in a letter to the selection committee.

The resignation follows a difficult year for Sri Lanka, who are seventh in the World Test Championship standings. The team lost a Test series in the West Indies and suffered a home series defeat by India. De Silva has played for Sri Lanka in 69 Tests and is one of the side's most experienced players.

The two-Test series in Pakistan, starting in Rawalpindi on November 9, will be Mendis' first assignment as Test captain.