The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has appointed Dhananjaya de Silva as the team’s new captain, replacing Dimuth Karunaratne, marking a major shift in the team’s leadership. With this move, de Silva becomes the 18th player from Sri Lanka to captain the Test team, according to top selector Upul Tharanga.
With 12 wins, 12 losses, and 6 draws in his 30 Test captaincy, Karunaratne’s tenure was evenly balanced. Notably, during his early tenure, Sri Lanka won a historic Test series in South Africa in 2019—becoming the first Asian team and the third in the world to accomplish this feat.
Karunaratne took over as team captain amid a difficult time in Sri Lankan cricket, providing stability and a calm environment. During his leadership, he played with great success, as seen by his average of 49.86, which was far better than his career average of 40.93. He also became the number one batsman in Test cricket during his reign, solidifying his reputation as a trustworthy opener.
The transitional phase of Sri Lankan cricket begins.
With 51 Test matches under his belt, including ten hundred and thirteen fifties, Dhananjaya de Silva, the recently named captain, provides a plethora of experience. De Silva will assume his leadership role after making significant contributions to the team’s performance. He has a strong record of 3,301 runs at an average of 39.77 and 34 wickets at 57.29.
There has been a recent leadership change in Sri Lanka, with Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga becoming captains of the ODI and T20I squads, respectively. On February 6, De Silva will play his first test as captain of the Test team against Afghanistan. Later in February, he will play two more Test matches against Bangladesh. As they begin this new chapter in their Test cricket adventure, the Sri Lankan team will look forward to his leadership.
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