Dhananjaya de Silva steps down as Sri Lanka's Test captain
Dhananjaya de Silva (Source: Instagram/dhananjaya_75)
Published - 08 Oct 2026, 11:26 AM• Read time - 2 mins
Sri Lanka’s Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down from his position with immediate effect. Dhananjaya was handed the leadership in January 2024 and led the team in 18 Test matches.
In a letter addressed to Sri Lanka’s selection committee, he relinquished the leadership position, saying that the mantle should go to the next generation.
“It’s my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation,” de Silva said in a letter addressed to Sri Lanka's selection committee.
De Silva also confirmed that he will continue to represent Sri Lanka as a player. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva also thanked Dhananjaya for his contribution as a leader.
“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes him the very best for the remainder of his career and thanks him for the leadership he provided to our Test team,” said Sri Lanka Cricket in a statement.
Dhananjaya's captaincy record
Dhananjaya took over the leadership from Dimuth Karunaratne and guided the team to seven victories from 18 Test matches, including series victories against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
As a skipper, he scored 1130 runs at an average of 36.45 and picked nine wickets at a bowling average of 44.44. His last assignment as captain was the two-match Test series against India at home, where Sri Lanka lost 0-1.