Sri Lanka Cricket has officially appointed Kusal Mendis as the new Test captain following Dhananjaya de Silva’s decision to step down from the leadership role after a disappointing run of results, including the recent home Test series defeat against India.
The decision was taken by the Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Committee during a meeting at the board’s headquarters on October 8. With this appointment, the 31-year-old Mendis will now lead Sri Lanka in all three formats of international cricket.
Dhananjaya de Silva Steps Down After Disappointing Results
Dhananjaya de Silva was appointed Sri Lanka’s Test captain in January 2024, replacing Dimuth Karunaratne. However, the team’s performances under his leadership were inconsistent.
Sri Lanka played 18 Test matches under De Silva’s captaincy, winning seven. His winning percentage stood at just 38.89%.
Although Sri Lanka registered some memorable victories, including a Test win against England at The Oval and a 2-0 home series victory over New Zealand in 2024, the team struggled to maintain that momentum.
Recent series defeats against West Indies and India further exposed Sri Lanka’s problems in Test cricket.
De Silva’s batting performance during his captaincy was also below his overall career standards. He scored 1,130 runs at an average of 36.45 and picked up nine wickets.
The 35-year-old has decided to hand over the leadership responsibility to the next generation but will continue to remain available for selection as a player.
Kusal Mendis Becomes Sri Lanka’s Captain in All Three Formats
Following De Silva’s resignation, Sri Lanka Cricket had to decide who would lead the Test team, with experienced players such as Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka among the possible options.
The selectors have now placed their trust in Mendis, who is already leading Sri Lanka in ODIs and T20Is.
Mendis was appointed captain of Sri Lanka’s white-ball teams earlier this year. He also has previous leadership experience, having captained the ODI team during the 2023 World Cup.
According to the ICC, Mendis has already captained Sri Lanka in 22 ODIs and three T20Is. However, he has never led the country in a Test match.
As a batter, Mendis has represented Sri Lanka in 75 Tests, scoring 4,836 runs at an average of 36.36, including 10 centuries and 23 half-centuries.
Kusal Mendis Faces a Big Challenge in Test Cricket
While Mendis has experience leading Sri Lanka in limited-overs cricket, Test captaincy will present a different challenge.
Sri Lanka have struggled with consistency in the longest format, and their recent performances against West Indies and India have raised questions about the team’s batting and bowling combinations.
Mendis will have to improve the team’s overall performance, particularly its ability to compete against stronger opponents and win matches away from home.
His first assignment as Test captain will be against Pakistan in the upcoming two-match Test series.
The first Test will be played in Rawalpindi from November 9 to 13, while Lahore will host the second Test from November 17 to 21.
It will be interesting to see whether Mendis can change Sri Lanka’s fortunes in Test cricket. He now has the responsibility of leading the team in all three formats, and the upcoming Pakistan series will be his first opportunity to prove himself as a Test captain.
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