Sri Lanka vs Afganistan ODI : Kushal Mendis named Captain as the former skipper Dashun Shanaka has been dropped

Dasun Shanaka, the former captain, was dropped off of Sri Lanka’s 16-man roster for their forthcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Shanaka most recently captained Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup, a tournament in which they were eliminated in the group stages.

Then, Shanaka was fired as captain of Sri Lanka Cricket, the first of many changes that followed. Shanaka’s white-ball cricket play has drawn harsh criticism from both fans and commentators since 2022. The 32-year-old’s average of just 20.13 over the last two years, with only 584 runs from 32 innings, was deemed insufficient by the Sri Lankan selectors. Leading the Sri Lankan squad in the Afghanistan series will be 29-year-old Kusal Mendis.

Two more senior players, Jeffrey Vandersay, a spin bowler, and hitter Nuwanidu Fernando, have been left out of the squad in addition to Shanaka. The 16-man roster for the Afghanistan series includes Shevon Daniel and all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne.

In a recent three-match ODI series, the Sri Lankan team faced Zimbabwe and prevailed 2-0. In their next ODI series against the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led Afghanistan team, they will now try to keep up the winning momentum.

It was inevitable that Sri Lanka’s miserable World Cup performance in 2023 would lead to major changes in the composition of the national cricket squad, and these expulsions are seen as the first stages in this revolutionary process.

On Friday, February 9, 2024, the two teams will play their first game in Sri Lanka’s Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

SRI LANKA SQUAD:

Kusal Mendis (c), Charith Asalanka (vc), Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pathum Nissanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Sahan Arachchige, Akila Dananjaya, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, and Shevon Daniel.

AFGANISTAN SQUAD:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Riaz Hassan Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.