Sri Lanka announce new captain & preliminary squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Sri Lanka was captained previously in T20Is by Charith Asalanka.

Charith Asalanka’s tenure as Sri Lanka captain in T20Is has come to an end as the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced a new captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. SLC also announced the preliminary squad of the Sri Lanka team for the upcoming ICC event.

Dasun Shanaka has been handed the reins of the Sri Lankan team for the T20 World Cup 2026 and in the lead-up to the same.

As part of their preparations for the upcoming ICC tournament, Sri Lanka will play a bilateral series against Pakistan and England. The Lankans had not made it to the Super-8 stage of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.

Dasun Shanaka replaces Charith Asalanka as Sri Lanka’s new T20I captain

Recently, the Sri Lankan Cricket Team traveled to Pakistan for a T20 tri-series. Due to life-threatening conditions in Pakistan, Charith Asalanka returned home halfway through the ODI series, leaving Dasun Shanaka in charge of the Lankan team.

Shanaka will once again captain Sri Lanka in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, according to Pramodya Wickramasinghe, who was recently chosen Chief Selector of the country’s cricket squad.

He will also captain the team in the upcoming two series against Pakistan and England. Along with India, Sri Lanka are the co-host of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.

Following Sri Lanka’s poor performance in the 2025 Asia Cup, which was played in the T20 format, Asalanka was removed from the T20I captaincy.

Sri Lanka lost all their matches in the tournament against better teams like Pakistan and India. Under Asalanka’s leadership, they have even lost a game against Zimbabwe after the collapse.

As a result, Lasith Malinga was replaced in 2021 by former Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka. In the 2021 and 2022 ICC T20 World Cups, Shanaka was Sri Lanka’s captain. Sri Lanka also won the Asia Cup under him, and Wanindu Hasaranga captained them in the 2024 World Cup following his departure.

Sri Lanka’s preliminary squad:

Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Pawan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Milan Ratnayake, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Travin Mathew, Kamil Mishara.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.