Kusal Perera set to become SL’s 9th ODI captain in five years

Sri Lanka’s new ODI Captain Kusal Janith Perera

• Mathews, Chandimal, Karunaratne omitted for Bangladesh series

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka has picked two wicketkeeper/batsmen with the experience of leading only their respective clubs to be the captain and vice-captain of the national team for a three-match ODI series to be played in Bangladesh from 23-28 May.

Kusal Perera has been entrusted with the captaincy while his deputy will be Kusal Mendis. Both are captains of their respective clubs – Perera with Colts and Mendis with CCC. Both have big responsibilities on their shoulders, not only as captain and vice-captain, but to contribute immensely with the bat, as the selectors in a major shake-up ahead of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, have opted to leave out experienced batters like Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne, who until the series against West Indies in March this year was Sri Lanka’s ODI Captain, having being first appointed for the 2019 World Cup.

Perera with 101 ODI caps and Mendis with 76 are the most experienced players in the side that has four players with no ODI experience at all – Ramesh Mendis and Chamika Karunaratne who have appeared only in Tests, Binura Fernando in T20Is, and Shiran Fernando, a 28-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler from Tamil Union who is yet to make his international debut.

In the past five years, Sri Lanka’s had eight ODI captains – Chandimal, Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Chamara Kapugedera and Karunaratne. How long Perera’s reign will last is a matter of conjecture.

Kusal Mendis returns to international cricket after completing a sequence of four consecutive ducks in back-to-back Test series against South Africa and England and then being left out of the tour to West Indies and the recently concluded Test series at home against Bangladesh.  

With Niroshan Dickwella also being named in the 18-member squad it will be interesting to see who will handle the glove-work behind the stumps. Dickwella was surprisingly overlooked for the 3 ODIs in the West Indies despite the absence of Kusal Perera, with Dinesh Chandimal taking over wicket-keeping duties. Now with Kusal Perera who regularly keeps wickets in ODIs being appointed captain and certain to play in all three matches against Bangladesh, where Dickwella can fit in is a matter for the selector on tour, who in this instance will be Hemantha Wickramaratne, to decide with the head coach.  

Hard hitting opening bat Avishka Fernando once again misses out on a series due to fitness issues. He missed the West Indies tour also for the same reason. 

Taking on a full-strength Bangladesh side on their home turf is going to be a tough challenge for this inexperienced side who have only one practice match on 21 May before they go into the ODI series which will be played in Dhaka under lights.

Sri Lanka’s track record in ODIs has been on a downward trend and currently they are languishing at the bottom of the ICC Mens Cricket World Cup Super League standings with a minus two points against their name after being penalised for slow over rate in their last series against West Indies, which they lost 0-3. If Sri Lanka are to avoid having to qualify for a place in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, they must by now start to win matches on a consistent basis and move up the table – which they are hoping to achieve with this young squad.

All-rounder Isuru Udana at 33 is the oldest, with Pathum Nissanka and Ashen Bandara who made their ODI debuts in the West Indies both aged 22, the youngest.

The team has gone into a bio-bubble at Hotel Taj Samudra and is scheduled to leave for Bangladesh on 16 May.   

Sri Lanka ODI Squad to Bangladesh (with age and ODI appearances) approved by Minister of Sports:

Kusal Perera (Captain, 30, 101), Kusal Mendis (Vice-Captain, 26, 76), Danushka Gunathilaka (30, 41), Dhananjaya de Silva (29, 45), Pathum Nissanka (22, 3), Dasun Shanaka (29, 23), Ashen Bandara (22, 3), Wanindu Hasaranga (23, 18), Isuru Udana (33, 18), Akila Dananjaya (27, 36), Niroshan Dickwella (27, 52), Dushmantha Chameera (29, 25), Ramesh Mendis (25, 0), Asitha Fernando (23, 2), Lakshan Sandakan (29, 27), Chamika Karunaratne (24, 0), Binura Fernando (25, 0), Shiran Fernando (28, 0).

Bangladesh Tour Schedule

21 May: One-Day Practice Game – Intra-squad – BKSP – Savar 9.30 a.m.

23 May: First ODI – Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh SBNCS – Dhaka (d/n)

25 May: Second ODI – Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh SBNCS – Dhaka (d/n)

28 May: Third ODI – Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh SBNCS – Dhaka (d/n)