Sri Lanka name Kusal Mendis as new Test captain ahead of Pakistan tour
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed Kusal Mendis as the new Test captain, replacing Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down from the role with immediate effect. The Kusal Mendis Test captain era begins at a busy time for the national side. The decision was taken by the selection committee at a meeting at SLC headquarters on Thursday and announced in a board media release.
Mendis, 31, has played 75 Tests for Sri Lanka, scoring 4,836 runs at an average of 36.36, with 10 centuries and 23 half-centuries. He has never led Sri Lanka in a Test, but he has captained the side in 22 one-day internationals and three T20 internationals, and already holds the ODI and T20I captaincies. He now leads the national team across all three formats.
De Silva steps down, backing the next generation
De Silva, 35, was appointed Test captain on January 4, 2024, replacing Dimuth Karunaratne to become Sri Lanka’s 18th Test captain. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka played 18 Tests and won seven. As captain, he scored 1,130 runs at an average of 36.45 and took nine wickets.
In a letter to the selectors, de Silva wrote: “It’s my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation.” He remains available for selection as a player.
Why the Kusal Mendis Test captain call makes sense
The appointment gives Sri Lanka a single leader across formats. Mendis has led the white-ball sides before, and his record with the bat gives him standing in the dressing room. A unified captaincy can settle selection debates and sharpen the team’s red-ball plans, which have lacked consistency in recent series.
Mendis takes over with Sri Lanka’s middle order in transition. His first task will be to steady a batting unit that has leaned heavily on senior players, while working with the selectors on a bowling attack built for subcontinental conditions.
A testing first assignment in Pakistan
The new Kusal Mendis Test captain faces his first red-ball examination on the tour of Pakistan. The two-Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, so points are at stake from the start.
Sri Lanka are already in Pakistan for a multi-format tour. Three T20Is will be played in Rawalpindi on October 9, 11 and 13. An ODI tri-series involving England follows in Rawalpindi and Lahore from October 18 to 31. A three-day warm-up against Pakistan in Islamabad runs from November 4 to 6.
The first Test is scheduled at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from November 9 to 13. The second Test takes place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from November 17 to 21. A Pakistan tour is rarely straightforward for visiting sides, and the WTC context adds pressure to both Tests. How Mendis sets fields, rotates his bowlers and leads from the front with the bat in these two matches will say a lot about where Sri Lanka’s Test side is heading.
FAQ
When was Kusal Mendis appointed Sri Lanka’s Test captain?
Sri Lanka Cricket’s selection committee appointed him at a meeting at SLC headquarters on Thursday, October 8, 2026. He replaces Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down with immediate effect.
Has Kusal Mendis captained Sri Lanka before?
Yes. He has led Sri Lanka in 22 ODIs and three T20Is and already captains the ODI and T20I sides. He has never captained a Test, so the Pakistan series will be his first red-ball assignment as skipper.
What is Kusal Mendis’s Test record?
He has played 75 Tests, scoring 4,836 runs at an average of 36.36, with 10 centuries and 23 half-centuries.
When does Mendis’s first Test series as captain begin?
The two-Test series against Pakistan starts at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on November 9, 2026, with the second Test at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from November 17. Both are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.
