COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka has handed the captaincy of its one-day and Twenty20 teams back to Kusal Mendis while retaining Dhananjaya de Silva as skipper for the tests on next month’s cricket tour of the West Indies.
Mendis captained Sri Lanka in the 50-over World Cup in 2023 but was replaced in 2024. He has never led his country in T20s.
He succeeds Charith Asalanka as ODI captain and Dasun Shanaka in the T20s. Both former skippers were kept in those respective squads named Monday.
Sri Lanka called up two uncapped players, batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara and fast medium bowler Isitha Wijesundara, to its test squad.
Leg-spin bowler Wanindu Hasaranga and fast bowler Eshan Malinga, who were ruled out of this year’s T20 World Cup because of injury, have returned to the white-ball squads.
Paceman Matheesha Pathirana, who also missed the World Cup, is sidelined again after being injured in the Indian Premier League.
The first tour game is an ODI in Kingston, Jamaica on June 3.
Squads
Test squad: Dhananjaya De Silva (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Isitha Wijesundara, Kasun Rajitha.
ODIs: Kusal Mendis (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan.
T20s: Kusal Mendis (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Lasith Croospulle, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara.
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