The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has dismissed Charith Asalanka from the captaincy and handed over the command of the team for the T20 World Cup 2026 to Dasun Shanaka. Recently, something similar happened with the Italy cricket team, which removed Joe Burns from the captaincy just before the World Cup. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has issued a statement saying that Shanaka will remain the captain of the Sri Lankan T20 team at least till the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.
Sri Lankan cricket team’s chief selector Upul Tharanga Wickramasinghe said on Friday that Dasun Shanaka is being made the captain till the end of the T20 World Cup. Head coach Sanath Jayasuriya was also discussed about this. Tharanga told that the old committee had selected 25 players. These 25 players have been included in the preliminary squad of the World Cup.
Recently, in the middle of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe tri-series played in Pakistan, Charith Asalanka returned to his country citing illness. After the blast in Islamabad, Sri Lanka Cricket Board had issued orders saying that strict action can be taken against any player who goes against the orders. However, the reason for Asalanka’s return to Sri Lanka was his illness.
Charith Asalanka may have lost the captaincy, but he has been included in the preliminary squad of the World Cup.
Sri Lanka’s preliminary squad for T20 World Cup: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjay de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, Zenith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Vellaage, Milan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Pawan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachige, Nuwan Thushara, Ishan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan, Mathisha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Mahesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Vijayakanth Vyaskanth, Travin Mathew
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