Sri Lankan seaming all-rounder Dasun Shanaka’s reign as Sri Lanka’s white-ball skipper has come to an end with newly appointed national selection committee led by Upul Tharanga appointed Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga as captains of ODI and T20I teams respectively.
Shanaka was handed the leadership role for the first time in 2019 when he led the second-string Sri Lankan side to tour Pakistan and emerged victorious, claiming a 3-0 win over the hosts in T20I format.
After two years, Shanaka was appointed Sri Lanka’s regular skipper in both ODIs and T20Is. Shanaka led Sri Lanka in 41 matches and managed to claim 23 wins, recording a winning percentage of 57.50.
The highlight of his ODI captaincy tenure was the series win against Australia in 2022, where they defeated mighty Australians 3-2 in a five-match ODI series. It was a historic win for the islanders as they beat Australia in a bilateral ODI series after 30 years.
ODI series win against South Africa at home and winning the 2023 ICC World Cup Qualifier with an unbeaten run were notable achievements under his captaincy in this format.
In T20Is, Shanaka led Sri Lanka in 48 matches and recorded 22 wins with a winning percentage of 47.91. The highlight of his T20I captaincy tenure was the Asia Cup win in the UAE. It was Sri Lanka’s 6th Asia Cup title and marked the end of an eight-year drought.
T20I series win against India at home was another notable achievement under his T20I captaincy. Though Shanaka managed to sustain an impressive record as captain, his poor form as a batter, especially in ODIs where he has scored only one half-century in his last 19 innings, put him under scrutiny, and many people questioned his place in the side.
Though the new selection committee has removed Shanaka from captaincy, they still believe the all-rounder has much to offer as a player. Thus, he has been named in the preliminary squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Zimbabwe.
Dasun Shanaka Captaincy Record
ODIs
| Matches | Won | Lost | No Result | Win % |
| 41 | 23 | 17 | 1 | 57.50 |
T20Is
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
| 48 | 22 | 24 | 2 | 47.91 |
