– Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down from the captaincy with immediate effect.

In a letter addressed to the Selection Committee, de Silva said it was his genuine opinion that “the mantle should go down to the next generation. De Silva, however, confirmed that he remains available for selection as a player and will continue to represent Sri Lanka in Test cricket.Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) CEO Ashley de Silva thanked Dhananjaya for his leadership of the Test team and wished him well for the remainder of his career.“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes him the very best for the remainder of his career and thanks him for the leadership he provided to our Test team,” Ashley de Silva said.SLC also welcomed Dhananjaya’s decision to remain available as a player and said it looks forward to his continued contributions to Sri Lankan cricket.