Kusal Mendis to be Dropped from T20 Squad; Charith Asalanka Named New Captain

Sri Lanka's ODI captain Kusal Mendis is set to be dropped from the T20 squad, with Charith Asalanka taking over as the captain for both ODI and T20 formats.

Dinesh Chandimal is expected to be recalled to the white-ball squad following the LPL, signaling the end of Mendis's captaincy tenure. The return of Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, and Chandimal means Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Angelo Mathews will be left out of the T20 series against India.

Since 2022, Kusal Mendis has had notable performances in the T20 format, scoring 948 runs in 32 innings at an average of 30 and a strike rate of 145. Despite this, his place in the squad is lost. Only Jos Buttler, Suryakumar Yadav, and Glenn Phillips have a higher batting average and strike rate than Mendis in this period.

The series, originally set to start on July 26, has been rescheduled to begin a day later. The first T20 match between India and Sri Lanka will now take place on July 27, followed by the second T20 on July 28 and the third on July 30. All T20 matches will be held at Pallekele International Stadium. The subsequent ODI series will be played in Colombo on August 2, 4, and 7.