Kusal Mendis is set to become the new captain of Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20I teams, with the leadership change expected to take effect from the upcoming tour of the West Indies.
According to a report published by The Sunday Times, the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is likely to replace Charith Asalanka as ODI captain and Dasun Shanaka as T20I skipper as Sri Lanka Cricket looks to build long-term stability in white-ball cricket.
Meanwhile, selectors are expected to continue with Dhananjaya de Silva as captain of the Test side.
Mendis has enjoyed strong form across formats over the past year. In ODIs, he has scored 461 runs in 11 innings at an average of 46.11, while he has accumulated 702 runs in 28 T20 International innings at an average of 28.08 during the same period.
The right-hander also impressed in the latest edition of the Pakistan Super League, scoring 550 runs in 11 innings for Peshawar Zalmi at an average of 55.00.
Over his international career, Mendis has scored 4,757 runs in 73 Test matches, 4,890 runs in 154 ODIs, and 2,622 runs in 106 T20 Internationals. He has also previously captained Sri Lanka in 17 ODIs, providing him with prior leadership experience at international level.
