Kusal Mendis appointed new Sri Lanka Check captain

Kusal Mendis has been appointed the new Check captain of Sri Lanka, taking on from Dhananjaya de Silva with fast impact. The wicketkeeper-batter will lead the Check aspect for the first time when Sri Lanka face Pakistan in their upcoming two-match sequence.

Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed the change on Thursday, October 8, following a choice by the nationwide choice committee. Kusal Mendis already leads Sri Lanka in ODIs and T20Is, making the Check appointment his third captaincy position in international cricket.

Dhananjaya de Silva steps down as Sri Lanka Check captain after an honest tenure

Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down as Sri Lanka’s Check captain after leading the aspect for practically three years. He took over from Dimuth Karunaratne in January 2024 and will stay out there for choice as a player.

De Silva captained Sri Lanka in 18 Exams, winning seven, dropping eight and drawing three. His 38.88% win rate places him among the extra skilled Check captains in Sri Lanka’s historical past. He decided to step apart after believing the Check aspect should now be handed to the following technology.

His remaining sequence as captain came in opposition to India in August 2026. India gained the first Check in Galle by 165 runs, whereas the second match in Colombo ended in a draw, giving India a 1-0 sequence victory.

Kusal Mendis named Sri Lanka’s new Check captain

Sri Lanka Cricket introduced Mendis as the new Check captain after the choice committee met at its headquarters on Thursday. His first project would be the two-Check sequence in opposition to Pakistan.

Mendis has already led Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket, however is yet to captain the aspect in red-ball cricket. The 31-year-old has performed 75 Exams, 159 ODIs and 109 T20Is, giving him 343 international appearances throughout codecs.

Kusal Mendis’ document as white-ball captain and profession stats

Mendis has scored 4,836 Check runs at an average of 36.36, including 10 centuries and 23 fifties. In ODIs, he has 5,160 runs at 36.33 with seven centuries and 36 fifties, whereas his T20I tally stands at 2,694 runs at a strike rate of 130.20.

Across international cricket, Mendis has 12,690 runs and 17 centuries. His expertise as Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain will now be prolonged to the longest format as he takes cost of the Check aspect.

Overall, Kusal Mendis has captained Sri Lanka in 22 ODIs between 2023 and 2026, winning 10 matches and dropping 10, with two no-results. His win percentage stands at 45.45%, whereas his total percentage within the document is 50% when no-results are included.

Additionally, he has led Sri Lanka in three T20Is in 2026. The workforce gained one match and misplaced two, giving him a 33.33% win percentage.

Source: cricketaddictor.com