New captain to lead as Sri Lanka name 16-man squad for Afghanistan Test

Sri Lanka are set to host Afghanistan for a one-off Test in Colombo, with the match scheduled to commence on Friday, February 2.

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) finalized their 16-player Test squad for the upcoming fixture.

Dhananjaya de Silva to captain the Sri Lankan team

Dhananjaya de Silva will lead the team as the new captain, and the squad includes experienced players such as Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal.

Kusal Mendis has been named as De Silva’s deputy. Wicketkeeper-batter Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama have secured their places, while opener Pathum Nissanka has been omitted due to his recent lack of form.

Two young pacemen, Milan Ratnayake and Chamika Gunasekara, have been included in the squad after showcasing their wicket-taking abilities in recent matches.

Fast bowlers Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha have retained their places, while the spin department will be represented by leggie Prabath Jayasuriya and offie Ramesh Mendis. Notably, Lasith Embuldeniya and Akila Dhananjaya did not make it into the squad.

Also READ: Afghanistan unveil squad for the one-off Test against Sri Lanka; Naveed Zadran and Mohammad Ishaq earn maiden call-ups

The selection committee emphasized that the players were chosen based on their recent performances, reflecting a strategic approach to assembling the team for the upcoming Test against Afghanistan.

Sri Lanka squad for the Afghanistan Test:

Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (vc), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrema, Ramesh Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha,Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Gunasekara, Milan Ratnayake