Sri Lanka have turned to old leadership and fresh spin for a demanding white-ball tour of England, recalling former captain Dasun Shanaka to the ODI squad and handing a first international call-up to legspinner Sachindu Colombage.
Shanaka, out of the ODI side since January 2024, returns as a seasoned middle-order option at a time when Sri Lanka are already glancing toward next year’s ODI World Cup. He has 71 ODIs and 43 games of captaincy behind him, a wealth of experience that contrasts with a modest batting average of 22.39 — a number he will be desperate to rewrite in English conditions.
His comeback comes at the expense of pace. Milan Rathnayake and Pramod Madushan, both part of the group that edged a rain-hit three-match ODI series 1-0 in the Caribbean in June, have been left out. The message is clear: Sri Lanka want stability and know-how in the middle, and variety in their spin stocks.
Colombage, the uncapped legspinner, offers exactly that. With Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana already in the mix, Sri Lanka now travel with a spin attack that can attack at every phase of an innings.
The ODI squad for England reads: Kusal Mendis (captain), Charith Asalanka (vice-captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Sachindu Colombage, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.
Asalanka’s T20 resurgence
If Shanaka’s recall steadies the ODI middle order, the T20I squad is driven by another former captain’s resurgence.
Charith Asalanka, left out of the T20I series against West Indies, forces his way back after a standout Lanka Premier League campaign. For Galle Gallants, he piled up 385 runs at 38.50, striking at 153.38 and hammering four half-centuries on the way to the title. Those numbers were too loud to ignore.
The selectors have gone further than a simple recall. Asalanka has been appointed vice-captain for the entire tour, across both formats, with Kusal Mendis continuing as captain. It is a clear endorsement of his growing authority in the dressing room and his importance with the bat.
The T20I squad also rewards domestic form at the top of the order. Lahiru Udara, the leading run-scorer in the LPL with 434 runs, earns a place after his only previous T20I outing at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Now he gets a stage with far brighter lights and far higher stakes.
All-rounder Janith Liyanage and ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake also come in, adding depth and intrigue to a T20 group that has been reshaped since the Caribbean tour. Making way are Lasith Croospulle, Pavan Rathnayake, Milan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka, all omitted from the T20I party that travelled to the West Indies.
Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for England: Kusal Mendis (captain), Charith Asalanka (vice-captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Tharindu Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando.
Tour schedule and stakes
The tour begins with the format that moves fastest. The three-match T20I series starts on September 15, with fixtures in Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester. For players like Udara and Tharindu Rathnayake, these grounds will be their first taste of a full England tour; for Shanaka and Asalanka, they are a chance to reassert themselves on a global stage.
After the sprint comes the longer white-ball test. The three ODIs are set for Chester-le-Street, Leeds and The Oval, with the first on September 22. Those matches will be watched closely back home, not just for results, but for signs that Sri Lanka’s evolving core — Mendis, Asalanka, Nissanka, Hasaranga, Shanaka — can carry the side into a World Cup year with conviction rather than hope.
