In a major development in Sri Lanka cricket, the T20I skipper Wanindu Hasaranga resigned from the captaincy role on Thursday, July 11. The Sri Lankan team failed to reach the Super 8 stages of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 with just one win in four games last month, but Hasaranga's resignation surprised the fans.
"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," Hasaranga said in an official statement by SLC.
The 26-year-old spin all-rounder took the captaincy reins from Dasun Shanaka only last year and captained Sri Lanka in just ten T20I matches. Sri Lanka won six games and lost four under Hasaranga's short tenure as a captain and accepted his resignation.
"Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to inform the public that National Men’s T20I Captain Wanindu Hasaranga has decided to resign from the captaincy," the SLC statement said. "Hasaranga said it is in the best interest of Sri Lanka Cricket that he decided to relinquish the captaincy duties and remain in the side as a player. Sri Lanka Cricket, while accepting his resignation, wishes to state that Hasaranga will remain an important player for us in our international cricketing plans."
Wanindu Hasaranga-led Sri Lanka side won a bilateral series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh but failed to impress in the recent T20 World Cup 2024. Sri Lanka managed to register just one win in four Group D fixtures and finished behind South Africa and Bangladesh.
With 110 wickets in just 66 T20Is, Hasaranga broke Lasith Malinga's all-time record to become Sri Lanka's leading wicket-taker in T20Is during the World Cup in the USA and West Indies last month. Sri Lanka are set to host India for a six-match white-ball series starting on July 26 and are yet to announce a team and new T20I skipper.
