Wanindu Hasaranga stood down as Sri Lanka’s T20 skipper on Thursday, ahead of their three-match series against India.
The men in blue will travel to Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series, beginning with three T20Is on July 26-29 at the Pallekele International Stadium, followed by three ODIs in Colombo.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to inform the public that National Men’s 20I Captain Wanindu Hasaranga has decided to withdraw from the captaincy.
He stated that it is in the best interests of Sri Lanka Cricket that he renounce the skipper and continue to play for the team, according to the statement.
Reason Behind Wanindu Hasaranga’s Resignation
Wanindu Hasaranga has resigned as Sri Lanka‘s T20I captain after around six months in the position. He stated in a statement released by the board that his decision was in the best interests of Sri Lankan cricket. After stepping down as captain, Hasaranga stated that he would focus on giving his “utmost best” as a performer.
“Sri Lanka will always benefit from my best efforts as a player, and I will always support and stand by my team,” Hasaranga stated in his resignation letter.
Sri Lanka’s Future Plans For Upcoming Series
Sri Lanka declared that Hasaranga will continue to play an important role in their squads. The Asian squad faces India in a home white-ball bilateral series that begins on July 26.
They are yet to pick their squad and captain for the series. Yet, it was a big shock that Wanindu Hasaranga’s retirement came after a poor World Cup in which Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Super Eight.
There was little public pressure to remove him, which was attributed to his lack of experience in the job. He also looked to enjoy the role, favoring Sri Lanka obligations over IPL outings this year while recovering from a foot ailment.
In his resignation letter, he regretted Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign extensively. “Sri Lanka’s early withdrawal from the T20 World Cup is incredibly sad for me as captain and for the entire squad,” Wanindu Hasaranga said in an email.
“As a squad and a nation, we had great hopes, and I was convinced that the best Sri Lankan team would be chosen to compete in the event.
“I do not want to make excuses for our poor performance, but I also feel that the Bangladesh game was close and we should have been able to come through. If such were the case, our country’s circumstances and fortunes would have been drastically different,” he added.
Reflections on World Cup Performance
Sri Lanka won six of ten T20Is under Hasaranga, including a bilateral series against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan starting in 2024. Wanindu Hasaranga had already been banned for two games for insulting an official at this time.
He continues to captain the Kandy Falcons Lanka Premier League squad in the present franchise league. While there are no clear options to succeed him as Sri Lanka’s T20I captain, Charith Asalanka’s name will be considered.
He took over in the two matches Wanindu Hasaranga was banned for, and he also leads Jaffna Kings in the LPL this season. Sri Lanka’s next T20I assignment will be a three-match series against India at the end of this month.
Sri Lanka will also have a new coach for the series, with Sanath Jayasuriya taking over in an interim capacity after Chris Silverwood stepped down following the World Cup. Mahela Jayawardene, too, resigned as consulting coach last month.
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