Sri Lanka Cricket named Kusal Mendis as the new Test captain on Thursday, following Dhananjaya de Silva’s immediate resignation from the role. Next month’s two-match Test series in Pakistan will mark Mendis’ first time captaining the team, as he is already leading the nation in ODI and T20I formats.
At 31 years old, he has played 75 Test matches for Sri Lanka and made a total of 343 international appearances across all formats. De Silva, aiming to “ pass the mantle to the next generation,” has appeared in 69 Test matches and amassed over 4,400 runs, including 13 centuries.
He is still available for selection. Mendis, though never having captained Sri Lanka in Test matches, is among the country’s most seasoned international cricketers. He has frequently led the ODI team over the years, usually on a temporary basis, but was appointed permanent captain of the white-ball side in May this year.
In his 22 ODI matches as captain, beginning with his first game in October 2023, Mendis has recorded ten wins and ten losses. He led in T20Is just once, during Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies in June this year, when they lost the series 2-1. In 75 Test matches, Mendis has scored 4836 runs, placing him as Sri Lanka’s 12th-highest run-scorer in the format.
With Sri Lanka likely to miss out on a top-two finish in the current World Test Championship cycle, Mendis will have an opportunity to regain his form before the next cycle begins. De Silva stepped down amid a difficult period for the Test team, which has lost both series this year 1-0first in the West Indies, then at home against India. Overall, Sri Lanka’s record during de Silva’s tenure consisted of seven wins, eight losses, and three draws.
