Dhananjaya De Silva Steps Down As Sri Lanka Test Captain

Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down from his role with immediate effect.

The all-rounder confirmed his decision in a letter sent to the Sri Lanka selection committee.

De Silva said he believed the captaincy should now move to the next generation.

“It’s my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation,” de Silva said in his letter.

The 34-year-old, however, will remain available to represent Sri Lanka as a player.

Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva wished his namesake well for the remainder of his career and thanked him for his leadership.

De Silva became Sri Lanka’s Test captain in January 2024, replacing Dimuth Karunaratne. He led the side in 18 Tests, securing seven victories during his tenure.

With the bat, de Silva scored 1,130 runs at an average of 36.45. He registered three centuries and seven half-centuries during his captaincy. He claimed nine wickets, with his best innings figures being 2-13.

Dhananjaya de Silva began his tenure with a 10-wicket victory over Afghanistan in a one-off Test in February 2024. He then guided Sri Lanka to a 2-0 Test series sweep in Bangladesh.

De Silva led Sri Lanka to a memorable Test victory over England at The Oval, their first win on English soil since 2014.

Sri Lanka lost that series 1-2 but later completed a 2-0 home sweep against New Zealand.

Dhananjaya de Silva’s tenure featured a difficult run. Sri Lanka suffered four consecutive Test defeats in South Africa and Australia around the end of 2024 and the start of 2025. They lost 0-1 in the West Indies and recently suffered a 0-1 home-series defeat to India.

The India series marked de Silva’s final assignment as captain.

Sri Lanka avoided a whitewash in Colombo following a special performance from Sonal Dinusha.

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