Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka Cricket has shaken things up by replacing Charith Asalanka with Dasun Shanaka as T20 captain. The change comes just weeks before the team heads into the big tournament.
The decision came on Friday when the selection committee, now led by returning chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe, announced a 25-member preliminary squad for the World Cup and confirmed Shanaka as skipper. With the global event set to begin on February 7, the selectors opted for experience at the helm, believing Shanaka’s calm leadership and past World Cup exposure will be valuable for the team.
Shanaka isn’t new to the leadership role he has captained Sri Lanka in previous major tournaments and stood in during the recent tri-series in Pakistan when Asalanka returned home due to illness. That stint helped underline his readiness to take on the top job once again.
While Asalanka will no longer lead the side, he remains part of the World Cup squad as a specialist batter. The move reflects a strategic shift by the selectors to allow him to focus solely on his form with the bat heading into cricket’s biggest T20 stage.
In explaining the shift, Wickramasinghe pointed to the need for stability and experience, especially with Sri Lanka co-hosting part of the tournament and facing strong opponents in the group stages.
The Sri Lankan team brings together experienced players and fresh young talent, with Dasun Shanaka at the helm as they get ready to face strong sides like Australia, Ireland, Oman, and Zimbabwe
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