New Delhi. Sri Lanka has taken a big decision before the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted with India next year. Actually, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has appointed a new captain of the team for the T20 format. Sri Lanka has removed Charith Asalanka from the captaincy in the preliminary team of T20 World Cup and made Dasun Shanaka the captain. The T20 World Cup is to be held in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March.
Big decision of Sri Lanka Cricket Board
Pramodaya Wickramasingha, who returned as the head of the selection committee, said that Shanaka’s experience of playing the last three World Cups and Asalanka’s poor form in batting were the basis for this decision. Asalanka did not even go on a limited overs tour of Pakistan last month due to security reasons after nine people were killed in a suicide bombing in Islamabad.
Big change in Sri Lankan cricket.
Wickramsingha said, ‘Shanaka will play the role of an all-rounder. We hope that Asalanka will regain his old form in batting. After consulting head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, we decided that there is no need to make many changes, so the team will remain the same.
Asalanka is included in the team
However, despite being removed from the post of captain, Asalanka has retained his place in the team. Asalanka has scored 156 runs in 12 innings in 2025 at a strike rate of 122, while his overall T20I strike rate is 126. However, Wickremesinghe made it clear that Asalanka will remain an important part of the selectors’ plans in future too. Niroshan Dickwella has also returned to the starting team. This wicketkeeper-batsman last played for Sri Lanka in March 2023 and that too in the Test format. According to Wickremesinghe, the team management wants to include a top-order batsman in the team who can also keep wickets, which has opened the way for Dickwella to return to the T20 setup.
sri lanka preliminary team
Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Dhananjay de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Pawan Ratnayake, Sahan Arachige, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Velalage, Milan Ratnayake, Nuwan Thushara, Ishan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan, Mathisha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Mahish Teekshana, Dushan Hemanta, Vijayakanth Viakanth, Travin Mathew.
