Sri Lanka's chief selector Upul Tharanga announced Dhananjaya de Silva as Sri Lanka's new Test captain, making him the 18th player to lead the Sri Lankan Test team. Apparently Dhananjaya replaced Dimuth Karunaratne, who captained Sri Lanka in 30 Tests, and recorded 12 wins and as many 12 defeats with six draws. The most significant achievements under Karunaratne's captaincy were in his first two matches at the helm, leading Sri Lanka to a historic Test series victory in South Africa in early 2019. This victory marked Sri Lanka as the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa, and only the third team to accomplish this feat.
Karunaratne assumed leadership of the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2019, a period marked by instability within the team. His captaincy brought a much-needed sense of steadiness and composure to the team environment. Though the team's performance was varied under his leadership, this period coincided with the peak of Karunaratne's batting career. His batting average as captain, 49.86, was notably higher than his overall career average of 40.93. During his tenure, he also achieved the top spot in the Test batting rankings, establishing himself as a dependable opener for Sri Lanka.
Dhananjaya, Karunaratne's successor, has been a consistent performer in the national team, playing 51 Tests and scoring ten centuries and 13 half-centuries. His first challenge as captain will be leading the team against Afghanistan in a one-off Test starting February 6.
This appointment marks the third recent captaincy change for Sri Lanka, following the naming of Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga as the new ODI and T20I captains, respectively.
Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced appointed Wanindu Hasaranga as the captain of the T20I side and Kusal Mendis as the skipper of the ODI team. These appointments come ahead of Sri Lanka's series against Zimbabwe, signaling a new phase in the team's strategy and leadership. Hasaranga, who recently recovered from an injury sustained during the Lanka Premier League in August, is set to lead the T20 team, taking over from Dasun Shanaka. His return and subsequent appointment as captain underscore his importance and potential as a leader in the shorter format of the game. Shanaka, despite relinquishing the T20I captaincy, remains an integral part of the team for the upcoming series, which comprises three ODIs and three T20 matches starting on January 6th in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis, a right-handed batter, has been elevated to the role of ODI captain. His rise to captaincy occurred during the World Cup in India when he stepped in for an injured Shanaka. Although Sri Lanka's World Cup campaign was less successful, with only two wins out of nine matches, the SLC's decision to appoint Mendis as captain reflects its intention to inject new leadership and energy into the team.
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