Colombo: Sri Lanka’s T20 captain, Wanindu Hasaranga, resigned from his position on Thursday, just ahead of India’s white-ball tour of the island nation later this month, Sri Lanka Cricket announced.

The 26-year-old all-rounder decided to step down from the T20 captaincy following Sri Lanka's disappointing early exit from the T20 World Cup in June. Despite his resignation from the captaincy, Hasaranga will remain a player on the team to support and contribute to Sri Lanka's future successes.

In his resignation letter to the board, Hasaranga expressed his commitment to the team, stating, “Sri Lanka will always have my utmost best efforts as a player, and I will support and stand by my team and leadership as always.”

As of now, no replacement for Hasaranga has been named. Kusal Mendis will continue as Sri Lanka’s ODI captain, while Dhananjaya de Silva will remain in his role as Test captain.

Hasaranga’s resignation follows the recent appointment of former captain Sanath Jayasuriya, 55, as the “interim” coach of the national team. Jayasuriya’s role will be temporary until a permanent replacement for Chris Silverwood is found. Silverwood, the former England coach, resigned from his position as Sri Lanka’s head coach for “personal reasons,” and Sri Lanka Cricket expressed their gratitude for his “valuable contributions during his tenure.”

Sri Lanka’s performance at the T20 World Cup was underwhelming, as the team managed only one victory, against the Netherlands, and finished third in their group behind South Africa and Bangladesh. Additionally, former consultant coach Mahela Jayawardena also stepped down from his position last month.

Looking ahead, India will begin their tour of Sri Lanka with the first T20 match on July 26 at Pallekele. The second T20 will follow on July 27, and the final match of the T20 series will be on July 29. The two teams will then face off in three ODIs, starting August 1, with the second ODI on August 4 and the final ODI on August 7, all matches scheduled to be held at Premadasa Stadium. AFP