Colombo: Kusal Mendis has been appointed as the new Test captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team, taking over from Dhananjaya de Silva. The decision was made by the Selection Committee during a meeting at the Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters.

According to International Cricket Council, Mendis, who has played 75 Test matches for Sri Lanka, has accumulated 4,836 runs with an average of 36.36, including 10 centuries and 23 half-centuries. While Mendis has not yet captained Sri Lanka in a Test match, he has previous leadership experience, having led the senior side in 22 One Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals.

The 31-year-old will also captain the white-ball teams in the upcoming series against Pakistan. His first assignment as Test captain will be in the ICC World Test Championship series against Pakistan, with the first Test scheduled from November 9-13 in Rawalpindi, followed by the second Test from November 17-21 in Lahore.