De Silva, who led Sri Lanka in 18 Tests between February 2024 and August 2026, left the job citing a desire to hand over leadership “to the next generation”. He, however, remains available for selection.
Mendis, who has never led Sri Lanka in Test cricket but is one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced international cricketers, has led the ODI side often over the years, typically in short-term capacities, but was handed the white-ball captaincy on a permanent basis in May this year.
In 22 matches in charge in ODIs – he first led in the format in October 2023 – Mendis has overseen ten wins and ten defeats. The first and only time he has led in T20Is was on the tour of the West Indies in June this year, when Sri Lanka lost 2-1.
Overall, in 75 Test matches, Mendis has 4836 runs, making him the 12th-highest run-getter in the format for Sri Lanka.
De Silva’s resignation came during a modest stretch for the Test side, which has lost both series this year 1-0, first in the West Indies, then at home against India. Overall, Sri Lanka’s record under de Silva was seven wins, eight losses and three draws.
The most notable feature of Sri Lanka’s Test cricket under his tenure was the infrequency of matches.
After Sri Lanka wrapped up a 1-0 home series victory against Bangladesh in June 2025, the team had no Tests on their schedule for a full 12 months. They are also currently in the midst of a WTC cycle that features just 12 Tests for them – the minimum number. De Silva has repeatedly spoken about the significant challenges posed by such a bare schedule, particularly for the Test specialists.