De Silva Steps Down as Sri Lanka Test Captain

Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down as Sri Lanka’s Test captain with immediate effect, ending his tenure in the role while remaining available for selection as a player. Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed the decision on October 8, saying de Silva had informed the national selection committee. De Silva said he believed the captaincy should pass to younger players. In a letter to the committee, he described that as his genuine view, according to the statement reported about his decision. He is giving up the leadership role, not retiring from Test cricket, and will continue to make himself available to represent Sri Lanka. The selectors had not announced a successor as of October 8. De Silva’s departure therefore leaves the Test captaincy vacant while the team awaits a decision on its next leader. No timetable for naming a replacement was reported. De Silva took over in January 2024, succeeding Dimuth Karunaratne, and captained Sri Lanka in 18 Tests between 2024 and 2026. His record was seven wins, eight defeats and three draws, according to the figures reported.