Kusal Mendis Named Sri Lanka’s New White-Ball Captain. Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed Kusal Mendis as the new ODI and T20I captain ahead of the West Indies tour. The wicketkeeper-batter will now lead Sri Lanka in both white-ball formats. The decision comes after Sri Lanka Cricket planned changes in the leadership group before upcoming ICC tournaments. Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva will continue leading the Test side.
Kusal Mendis has been one of Sri Lanka’s most consistent white-ball batters in recent years. The 31-year-old has played 154 ODIs and 106 T20Is for Sri Lanka. He has scored 4,890 runs in ODIs with six centuries and 35 half-centuries. In T20Is, Mendis has scored 2,622 runs with 20 fifties at a strike rate above 129.
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Previous Captaincy Experience
Mendis already has experience leading Sri Lanka at different levels. He captained Sri Lanka Under-19 during the 2014 ICC Under-19 World Cup. He also led Sri Lanka during the 2023 ODI World Cup after Dasun Shanaka suffered an injury. Sri Lanka defeated England and the Netherlands under his captaincy in that tournament.
Mendis has also served as vice-captain in ODI and T20I cricket during several international tours. Selectors believe his experience can help Sri Lanka build a stable white-ball side.
Big Challenge Ahead
Sri Lanka’s first series under Kusal Mendis will be the white-ball tour of the West Indies. The tour includes three ODIs and three T20Is later this month. Experienced players like Wanindu Hasaranga, Pathum Nissanka, and Dasun Shanaka are part of the squad. Sri Lanka hopes the new leadership group can improve consistency in major tournaments.
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Kusal Mendis recently impressed in franchise cricket and continued his strong international form. Sri Lanka Cricket now expects him to guide the team into a successful new era.