3 challenges for Charith Asalanka as new Sri Lankan T20I captain
Charith Asalanka has been announced as the new captain of the Sri Lankan T20I team. This comes after former captain Wanindu Hasaranga resigned from his post on July 11. Hasaranga led the island nation in the 2024 T20 World Cup, in which Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Super-Eight stage.
In his resignation letter to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the all-rounder wrote:
“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.”
Ahead of the three-game T20I series against India starting July 27, the Sri Lankan board has announced Charith Asalanka as the new captain.
Here’s the Lankan squad for three T20I matches against India: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, and Binura Fernando.
Asalanka recently guided the Jaffna Kings to their fourth Lanka Premier League (LPL) title on July 21. The left-handed batter also captained Sri Lanka in the first two games of a three-match T20I series in the absence of Hasaranga against Bangladesh earlier this year.
With Asalanka now being announced as a full-time captain, in this article, we will look at three challenges that the new Sri Lankan skipper has to deal with.
3 challenges for Charith Asalanka as new T20I captain of Sri Lanka
#1 Restoring team morale following their early departure from the 2024 T20 World Cup
One of the most important challenges for the new Sri Lankan captain will be rebuilding the team's confidence after the early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka were in Group D of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Losses against South Africa and Bangladesh meant they couldn’t qualify for the next round.
The island nation had a very poor tournament with the bat, and to rectify the issue, the Sri Lankan board has added two veteran players, Kusal Perera and Dinesh Chandimal, to their roster.
Asalanka will be hoping for a decent start in this new chapter, and defeating the T20 World Cup champions in his maiden series as a full-time captain will do wonders for his and his team’s confidence.
#2 Improving consistency in performance
After winning the 2014 T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka failed to reach the semi-finals in the next four editions. With another T20 World Cup coming up in 2026, the Sri Lankan team will look to bring consistency to their performance.
Sri Lanka has won their last three T20 series against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. However, they struggle big time against the higher-ranking sides. Between 2021 and 2024, they played four T20I series (two against India and two against Australia) and lost on all occasions.
To solve the squad's inconsistent performance and find players who can step up to the biggest stage, Asalanka will have to work closely with the coaching staff to create a well-rounded team plan.
#3 Asalanka will need to lead with the bat while handling other things
Charith Asalanka is a very crucial player for the Sri Lankan team. Along with captaincy, he will need to fire with the bat as well. While he led the Jaffna Kings to glory in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League, Asalanka struggled with the bat. He only scored 173 runs in 11 games.
The left-handed batter has scored 1061 runs in 47 games for Sri Lanka, including five fifties. Asalanka will be under pressure to deliver consistently with the bat while he tries to bring glory to Sri Lanka as captain.