Sri Lanka Confirm Kusal Mendis as Captain for WI ODI, T20I Series

Change: Mendis Gets White-Ball CaptaincyNew captain: Kusal Mendis named ODI and T20I captain for West Indies tour. Vice-captain: Kamindu Mendis named VC for both ODI and T20I squads. Test captain: Dhananjaya de Silva continues as Test skipper, Kamindu VC there too. Replaces: Mendis takes over from Charith Asalanka in ODIs and Dasun Shanaka in T20Is. Kusal Mendis takes over the ODI captaincy from Charith Asalanka, who had earlier been elbowed out of the T20I job ahead of the T20 World Cup, and has now been replaced as ODI captain as well. He is named in the 16-man ODI squad, though he has lost his spot in the T20I outfit. Kamindu Mendis is vice-captain across formats. In T20Is, it is Dasun Shanaka who Kusal Mendis takes over the leadership from. Shanaka led the side between December and February, as a stop-gap captain for the World Cup, after Asalanka's ousting. He was unable to have significant impact in the role, but retains his place in the T20I squad. Context: Follows Sri Lanka’s “disappointing T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year” where they didn’t qualify for knockouts under Shanaka. Major shift: SLC says this is a “major shift in leadership ahead of an important overseas assignment”. ODI squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (C), Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis (VC), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera. T20I squad: Includes Dasun Shanaka, Hasaranga, Theekshana, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara. Comeback: Wanindu Hasaranga returns after hamstring injury during T20 World Cup, missed IPL 2026. Asalanka: Included in ODI squad but not T20I squad. Top-order batter Lahiru Udara, who has played two Tests, is in the squad again, as is left-arm spinning allrounder Sonal Dinusha, who has played one. The Test side has been out of action for almost a year, their last fixture having been against Bangladesh in June last year. The Test squad also sees the return of offspin-bowling allrounder Ramesh Mendis, who had missed out on selection following modest returns against Australia early in 2025. Bottom line: SLC has overhauled white-ball leadership after the T20 World Cup exit. Kusal Mendis now leads ODIs and T20Is, with Kamindu as deputy, as Sri Lanka look to “build towards the next ICC cycle” on a full West Indies tour. Sri Lanka Squad : Test Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Isitha Wijesundara, Kasun Rajitha ODI Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Milan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan T20I Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Lasith Croospulle, Dasun Shanaka, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara