Dhananjaya de Silva steps down as Sri Lanka Test captain

Dhananjaya de Silva has decided to step down as Sri Lanka’s Test captain to hand leadership to the next generation. He remains committed to selection, with their next Test series beginning on November 09 against Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

De Silva’s last assignment as their Test captain came during their 1-0 series defeat at home in the two-match series against India. They are out of the running for a top-two finish in the current World Test Championship cycle, as de Silva has handed leadership to a new member, who will find his feet before the next cycle.

Dhananjaya de Silva steps down: What he said and why he quit

The resignation came after a poor stretch of the red-ball side, which has lost both the series this year through the 1-0 defeat against the West Indies and then at home against the Shubman Gill-led side. Overall, their record under de Silva is just seven wins, eight losses, and three drawn results.

His best year as captain was in 2024 when the team earned a 2-0 series victory in Bangladesh, followed by a memorable victory at the Kennington Oval against England in a series which ended in a 2-1 defeat for them. They also beat New Zealand at home by a 2-0 margin.

“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes [De Silva] the very best for the remainder of his career and thanks him for the leadership he provided to our Test team.” The Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive, Ashley de Silva, has expressed through a statement.

Who could replace Dhananjaya de Silva as Sri Lanka Test captain? Kusal Mendis among options

There were four consecutive defeats against South Africa (away) and Australia (at home), between late 2024 and early 2025. The frequency of the games has been the biggest issue for Sri Lanka, who wrapped up a 1-0 series win against Bangladesh in June 2025, while they had no Tests on their schedule for a year.

De Silva has spoken about the challenges of the schedule, especially for the Test specialists. His resignation will bring more challenges in the leadership and management of the men’s teams.

At the beginning of the year, Kusal Mendis was given the white-ball captaincy, replacing Charith Asalanka as captain. Mendis is among the players the selectors may consider for future leadership as well.