Sri Lanka has made some changes by including six players who have never played for the national team in their squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, which begins on June 17 in Galle.
The 18-man squad announced on Sunday shows a clear shift in leadership, as this will be Angelo Mathews’ last Test series, and Dimuth Karunaratne is also absent after retiring earlier this year.
Among the six newcomers, opening batsman Lahiru Udara, 31, and spin-bowling allrounder Sonal Dinusha, 24, were part of Sri Lanka’s recent tour to Australia.
Udara is ready to fill the gap left by Karunaratne at the top of the batting order, having achieved consistent success in domestic cricket over several years. However, Oshada Fernando was chosen to play in Sri Lanka’s latest Test match instead.
Players like Sadeera Samarawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nishan Peries, and Vishwa Fernando did not make the final selection.
Additionally, there was no place for Nishan Madushka, who had opened the innings and performed well for much of 2023 and 2024 but was overlooked after a challenging tour of England last year.
Dinusha, who bowls slow left-arm spin and recently scored an unbeaten 104 against Afghanistan A in his last first-class match, is one of the players Sri Lanka is considering as a possible replacement for Mathews in the future.
His skills as an all-rounder may give him an advantage, but the talented duo of Pasindu Sooriyabandara, 25, and Pavan Rathnayake, 22, are likely the more skilled batters.
Currently, Sri Lanka’s batting lineup seems mostly set. Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, and Kusal Mendis are expected to fill six of the top seven spots, with Oshada and Udara competing for the final opening position.
On the spin-bowling side, there’s a blend of newcomers and veterans. Akila Dananjaya is returning to Test cricket after nearly six years and could be selected due to his strong performance in domestic matches where he has taken 37 wickets in his last five first-class games, leading the wicket charts in the National Super League four-day Tournament.
There’s also a chance that Tharindu Rathnayake may make his debut. The 29-year-old has stood out in domestic cricket and with Sri Lanka A.
He excels at left-arm spin but is also effective with right-arm off breaks. Given his batting ability as well, it wouldn’t be surprising if Sri Lanka chooses Rathnayake over Dananjaya.
Isitha Wijesundara is another new addition to the squad after replacing Lahiru Kumara, who picked up an undisclosed injury during training. Asitha Fernando will lead the attack while Kasun Rajitha returns following his recent stint with Essex. Milan Rathnayake completes the roster selections.
Sri Lanka team: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Pavan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Tharindu Rathnayake, Akila Dananjaya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Isitha Wijesundara.
