Sri Lanka Cricket plans to name Kusal Mendis as the captain for both the ODI and T20I teams for their upcoming tour of the West Indies. The 31-year-old is set to take over from Charith Asalanka in ODIs and Dasun Shanaka in T20Is. This move aims to provide stability and guidance ahead of a packed International schedule.
Reports from The Sunday Times suggest that Dhananjaya de Silva will continue to lead the Test side. Mendis has a record of 4,890 runs in 154 ODIs and 2,622 runs in 106 T20Is. In Tests, he has scored 4,757 runs across 73 matches. Recently, he was the second-highest run-scorer in a tournament, amassing 550 runs in 11 innings with an average of 55.
Sri Lanka Cricket earlier announced that the national team will tour the West Indies in June and July 2026 for a complete bilateral series, including three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Test matches.
The tour will start with the ODI series at Sabina Park on June 3, 6, and 8. Following that, the T20I matches will also take place at the same venue on June 11, 13, and 14. Additionally, Sri Lanka will play a four-day warm-up match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua from June 18 to 21.
The Test series will occur at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, with the first Test from June 25 to 29 and the second from July 3 to 7, bringing the tour to a close. Sri Lanka’s last appearance was at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they were eliminated in the Super Eight stage after winning group-stage matches against Ireland, Oman, and Australia, but losing to Zimbabwe. They were unable to secure any wins in the Super Eight stage, leading to their tournament exit.
Prior to the World Cup, Sri Lanka faced a tough series against England, where they were whitewashed 3-0 in the T20I series. Despite entering the World Cup with high hopes, they could not advance in the competition.