Mendis, De Silva to lead Sri Lanka teams on Caribbean tour
COLOMBO – Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva have been appointed Sri Lankan captains for the upcoming all-format tour of the West Indies that commences next month.Mendis has been appointed captain for both the ODI and T20I squads, while de Silva will lead the Test side.All-rounder Kamindu Mendis will serve as vice-captain in all formats.
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.Asalanka is named in the 16-man ODI squad, though he has lost his spot in the T20I outfit.
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.Sri Lanka will be boosted by the return of Wanindu Hasaranga, who is set to return to action in the ODI and T20I formats.Hasaranga has recovered from a hamstring which he sustained during the T20 World Cup.