De Silva Steps Down as Sri Lanka Test Captain to Make Way for Next Generation

Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down as Sri Lanka's Test captain, ending a tenure that began in January 2024 when he succeeded Dimuth Karunaratne. The 35-year-old all-rounder, who led the side in 18 Tests and won seven, said the leadership of the red-ball team should now pass to the next generation. Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed the decision on Thursday, adding that De Silva will continue to be available for selection as a player. The announcement closes a turbulent chapter for Sri Lanka's Test side. The team sits seventh in the World Test Championship standings after a difficult year that included a series defeat in the West Indies and a home loss to India, results that intensified scrutiny of the leadership group. De Silva's calm, understated style won respect in the dressing room, but the board has clearly decided a reset is overdue. No successor has been named, and the decision now becomes one of the most consequential facing Sri Lanka's selectors. Whoever takes the armband inherits a side desperate to climb back toward the top of the Test table. The new era begins in earnest on November 9, when Sri Lanka open a two-match series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, and the identity of the captain for that tour will reveal how bold the board is prepared to be.