Sri Lanka have made a major change in their Test leadership, with Dhananjaya de Silva stepping down as captain and Kusal Mendis taking over the role with immediate effect.
Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed the change on October 8, bringing an end to de Silva’s tenure after nearly three years in charge. The 35-year-old had taken over the Test captaincy in January 2024 and led Sri Lanka in 18 Test matches.
De Silva’s decision comes at an important point in Sri Lanka’s World Test Championship campaign. The team have struggled for consistency during the current cycle and recently suffered a series defeat against India at home. However, there was no suggestion from Sri Lanka Cricket that he had been sacked.
Instead, de Silva made the decision himself.
In a letter to the selection committee, the experienced all-rounder said he believed the responsibility should now be passed to the next generation. He will continue to make himself available for Sri Lanka as a player, meaning this is a change in leadership rather than an end to his Test career.
De Silva leaves with a mixed captaincy record
Dhananjaya de Silva became Sri Lanka’s Test captain after Dimuth Karunaratne and immediately found himself leading a team in transition.
Across his 18 Tests as captain, Sri Lanka won seven matches, lost eight and drew three. That gives him a win percentage of 38.89 when calculated from wins as a share of matches played.
He also contributed with the bat during his time as captain. De Silva scored 1,130 runs at an average of 36.45 and took nine wickets in those 18 matches.
His captaincy period included some important results, but Sri Lanka were unable to establish the consistency required to become a serious force in the World Test Championship. The recent losses against West Indies and India added to the pressure surrounding the team’s direction.
Still, his departure should not be viewed simply as a reaction to one series. His own explanation makes it clear that he believes the time is right for another player to take the team forward.
Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva also thanked him for his leadership and welcomed his decision to remain available as a player.
Kusal Mendis gets his biggest leadership challenge yet
The replacement is perhaps the most logical name available to Sri Lanka Cricket.
Kusal Mendis has now been appointed Sri Lanka’s Test captain, completing a significant expansion of his leadership responsibilities. He already leads Sri Lanka in the white-ball formats and has captained the side in 22 ODIs and three T20Is.
The Test job, however, will be a completely different challenge.
Mendis has never captained Sri Lanka in a Test before. His first assignment will come against Pakistan in a two-match World Test Championship series in November.
The first Test is scheduled for November 9-13 in Rawalpindi, while the second Test will take place from November 17-21 in Lahore.
That means Mendis will enter one of the most demanding phases of his international career with responsibility across all three formats.
Sri Lanka Cricket believes his experience makes him ready for the challenge. The 31-year-old has already played 75 Tests and has accumulated 4,836 runs at an average of 36.36. His record includes 10 centuries and 23 half-centuries.
He has also represented Sri Lanka 343 times across international cricket, giving him considerable experience inside the national dressing room.
The past that still follows Kusal Mendis
Mendis’ appointment is significant for another reason.
The batter has already experienced one of the most difficult periods of his international career. In 2021, he was one of three Sri Lankan players punished after breaching the team’s bio-secure bubble during the England tour.
Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella were handed one-year bans from international cricket and six-month suspensions from domestic cricket. Each player was also fined 10 million Sri Lankan rupees.
The incident became a major disciplinary issue for Sri Lankan cricket at the time and temporarily put Mendis’ international career on hold.
He eventually returned to the team and rebuilt his position through his performances.
Five years later, he has gone from being a player at the centre of a disciplinary controversy to becoming Sri Lanka’s Test captain. That turnaround says plenty about how highly the selectors now rate his experience and importance to the team.
Fitness could be Mendis’ biggest concern
There is, however, one obvious question surrounding the new captain.
Mendis has had his share of fitness problems, and he recently missed Sri Lanka’s Test series against India because of injury. That is particularly relevant because Test captaincy demands regular availability over long five-day matches and extended overseas tours.
Sri Lanka will need Mendis not only to lead from the front but also to remain fit enough to play regularly.
His batting will be equally important.
With 4,836 Test runs already behind him, Mendis is one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced active batters. His ability to score heavily in the middle order could determine how successful his captaincy becomes.
The challenge will be balancing his own batting responsibilities with the tactical demands of leading a Test side.
A new era begins before Pakistan series
The timing of the decision makes the upcoming Pakistan tour particularly interesting.
Mendis will first lead Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket before taking charge of the Test side. His first Test assignment will therefore arrive with very little time to settle into the role.
For Sri Lanka, this is about more than simply replacing one captain with another. The team are currently looking for a stronger direction in Test cricket, particularly in the World Test Championship.
De Silva’s decision opens the door for a new leadership era, while his continued availability means Sri Lanka will not immediately lose one of its most experienced Test players.
For Mendis, meanwhile, this is the biggest leadership opportunity of his career.
He has already experienced the highs and lows of international cricket. Now he must prove that he can turn his experience into leadership and help Sri Lanka compete more consistently in the longest format.
The Pakistan series could provide the first real indication of what the Mendis era will look like.
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