Charith Asalanka replaces Wanindu Hasaranga as Sri Lanka's T20 captain; Sri Lanka T20 squad for India named

Sri Lanka Cricket Team’s star batter, Charith Asalanka, has been named as the T20I captain for the upcoming three-match T20I series against India. Asalanka has already been serving as the Sri Lanka vice-captain in T20I and ODI cricket, and now he has earned full-time captaincy.

The left-handed batter has been elevated as Sri Lanka’s T20I captain by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday, July 23, after Wanindu Hasaranga stepped down from the position following the Islanders’ poor performance at the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies.

Charith Asalanka named Sri Lanka's new T20I captain ahead of India Series

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board officially announced Asalanka’s appointment as their new T20I captain on Tuesday when they unveiled their 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against the Indian Cricket Team, starting on July 27 in Pallekele.

Sri Lanka's T20I squad led by Asalanka featured Dinesh Chandimal, Chamindu Wickremesinghe, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera, and youngsters like Dunith Wellalage for the upcoming T20I series against the T20 World Cup 2024 champions.

Speaking about the newly appointed captain of Sri Lanka’s T20I team, Asalanka is a dynamic and talented cricketer who has rapidly risen through the ranks since making his debut for Sri Lanka in international cricket across the format in 2021.

He has been a standout performer in domestic and international cricket, thanks to his ability to anchor innings and play match-winning knocks. The 27-year-old batter is known for his aggressive yet composed batting style, and now he has become a crucial middle-order batter for the Sri Lanka Cricket Team.

Charith Asalanka set to transform Sri Lanka’s T20I fortune after leading Jaffna Kings to four LPL titles

Asalanka’s leadership skills were evident early in his career, having captained the Sri Lankan U-19 team. However, the left-handed player didn’t get more opportunities in Test cricket, playing only three games since his debut in 2021, but he is the next star in Sri Lanka's white-ball cricket.

He has so far played 59 ODIs and 47 T20Is, amassing over 1900 and 1000 runs, respectively. Apart from his explosive batting, Asalanka is also a handy spinner, taking five wickets in the ODIs so far. Well, captaincy is not new to the talented cricketer, as he already led Sri Lanka on the Bangladesh tour when Hasaranga was serving a two-match suspension earlier this year.

Asalanka has a great record in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) as captain, as he led the Jaffna Kings to four LPL titles in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024. This success promoted the SLC and made him Sri Lanka’s T20I captain, with the hope of bringing success as he did for the Jaffna Kings in the LPL.

As Sri Lanka’s full-time T2OI captain, Asalanka is expected to bring fresh energy and strategic acumen to the team to bring the national side back onto the winning track, as they have been struggling to make an impact across the formats, especially in the ICC tournaments.

Here's Sri Lanka's squad for India T20Is:

Sri Lanka announces the T20I squad for the India series, with Asalanka named as captain. #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/O5oeyFtLHU

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) July 23, 2024