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In a significant move within the Sri Lankan cricketing circles, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have officially named a new Test captain, marking the end of Dimuth Karunaratne‘s leadership tenure that began in 2019.
Dimuth Karunaratne’s leadership era
Sri Lanka’s Chief Selector, Upul Tharanga, confirmed the replacement of Karunaratne as the Test captain. Notably, Karunaratne took charge during a challenging period in Sri Lankan cricket and led the team for 30 Tests, achieving a balance of 12 wins, 12 losses, and six draws. His notable achievements include guiding Sri Lanka to a historic Test series victory in South Africa in 2019, a milestone for Asian sides in the cricketing history.
Statistical highlights
Under Karunaratne’s captaincy, not only did Sri Lanka witness significant victories, but fans also saw the best of his batting prowess. With an impressive average of 49.86 as captain, Karunaratne outshone his career average of 40.93. Additionally, he ascended to the top of the Test batting rankings during his captaincy tenure.
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The dawn of a new captain
Now, as Sri Lanka Cricket looks toward the future, the responsibility of leading the Test team has been handed over to the accomplished Dhananjaya de Silva. Dhananjaya brings with him a wealth of experience, having played in 51 Tests, with ten centuries and 13 fifties to his credit. His maiden assignment as captain awaits against Afghanistan in a one-off Test scheduled to begin on February 6.
Sri Lanka’s recent captaincy changes
This announcement follows a series of recent captaincy changes in the Sri Lankan cricketing landscape. Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga were appointed to lead the ODI and T20I teams, respectively, making Dhananjaya the third captaincy change within a short span.
