Media Release

8th October 2026

Sri Lanka’s Test captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, has decided to step down from the captaincy with immediate effect.

“It’s my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation,” de Silva said in a letter addressed to the Selection Committee.

De Silva confirmed that he remains available to represent Sri Lanka as a player.

“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 Ashley de Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sri Lanka Cricket welcomes his continued availability as a player and looks forward to his continued contributions to Sri Lankan cricket.