Kusal, Chandimal, Avishka to join Sri Lanka T20 Squad; debut for Chamindu Wickramasinghe

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya

Charith Asalanka, vice captain of Sri Lanka’s white-ball cricket team, is poised to take over the captaincy for both T20 and ODI formats, the Daily Mirror learns.

According to a reliable source, the selectors have decided on Asalanka following Wanindu Hasaranga’s resignation from the T20 captaincy and Kusal Mendis’s unsuccessful stint leading the ODI team.

The Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming white-ball series against India has been submitted to the Sports Minister for approval, with Asalanka named as the captain. India is scheduled to tour Sri Lanka in July–August for three T20Is and ODIs each.

Sources said that several senior cricketers who participated in the T20 World Cup in the USA have been omitted, while performers from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) have been reintroduced into the squad.

Among those excluded from the squad are Dananjaya De Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Angelo Mathews. 

Kusal Janith Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, and Avishka Fernando, who are among the top run scorers in the ongoing LPL, are included in the Sri Lanka T20 squad, and the promising all-rounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe is set to make his international debut.

Despite his team, the Dambulla Sixers, being eliminated from the competition, Chamindu showcased exceptional all-round abilities, earning him a place in the national squad.

India have named Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of their men’s T20I team for the Sri Lanka tour, with Shubman Gill named as the vice captain of the T20I and ODI sides.

India’s upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka marks the debut assignment for Gautam Gambhir as the team’s new coach. Gambhir steps into this role following Rahul Dravid’s departure after leading the team to victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

This will be the first time since 2021 that India will travel to Sri Lanka for a bilateral series.