Sri Lanka will commence 2024 with a new commander for each format, as Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva was appointed to the position. SLC’s announcement follows the recent appointments of Wanindu Hasaranga and Kusal Mendis, respectively, as commanders of the Twenty20 International and ODI teams.
18 players will have led Sri Lanka to victory in men’s Tests prior to the one-off Test against Afghanistan; De Silva, 32, will complete that distinction. Dimuth Karunaratne, who captained the team for 30 Tests from 2019 to 2023 amassed a 12-12-6 win-loss-draw record, is succeeded by him.
Karunaratne assumed the captaincy following an unprecedented, historic series victory in South Africa. Although subsequent outcomes were less sensational, he instilled a sense of composure within the team amidst a turbulent period in the nation’s cricket. Leadership inspired Karunaratne, the batsman, to achieve an almost 50-run average with the bat, which is significantly above his career average of 40.93.
De Silva, his successor, has been a consistent member of the squad. Thus far, he has amassed 3301 runs in 51 Tests, averaging just under 40.
“I would have preferred to have the same captain for all three formats,” said chief selector Upul Tharanga, “but we are unable to do that at the moment with the players we have.”
