Sri Lanka appoint Dhananjaya de Silva as new Test captain

Sri Lanka kick-off 2024 with three captaincy changes, with 32-year-old Dhananjaya de Silva being named as the Test captain, replacing the veteran Dimuth Karunaratne. It is after the board appointed Wanindu Hasaranaga and Kusal Mendis as the T20I and ODI squad captains, respectively. 

The 32-year-old will be Sri Lanka’s 18th Test skipper, with his first assignment coming in the off-Test against Afghanistan later in the month. It will be a huge task in hand for the all-rounder given the precedence set by Karunaratne, who won 12 Tests during his time as the skipper of the Island nation in the longest format, with 12 losses and six draws in his 30-game reign. 

"Cricket Fans world over, as I finally hand over the reigns of the SL Test Captaincy [sic] after a decent and memorable stint, who better other than to you, Dhananjaya De Silva, an excellent all-round athlete in my books," Karunaratne wrote on Facebook. 

"Dhana, I've watched you grow & develop in to a very matured and fantastic Cricketer [sic] over the years.. Smart, Ice cool and a very shrewd Cricket brain. I may add More so [sic] your own style you adapt, and also that very famous smile you always wear every time on & off the field! I am very Confident SL Test Cricket is in very safe hands and will be going forward thro your tenure as Skipper [sic]. I'll be there to support you on and off the field rest assured. Cheers & Blessings Bro"

Karunaratne’s reign as the skipper of the national side began with a monumental victory over South Africa away from home, where Kusal Perera put on a show with the bat. But ever since, results haven’t been too favourable for the Island nation, who have lost home series against England.

However, Karunaratne was a consistent performer for the national time during his time as a leader, where he averaged nearly 50 with the bat. His successor, de Silva has scored 3301 runs at an average shade under 40 in 51 Tests. 

"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."