Sri Lanka Names Test Squad for Pakistan Series as Kusal Mendis Takes Captaincy

Sri Lanka has named a 15-member squad for an upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, marking Kusal Mendis's first series as captain. The announcement was made on Tuesday in Chennai, setting the stage for a series where Mendis will begin his Test captaincy stint. The first Test match is scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi starting on November 9, followed by the second Test in Lahore beginning on November 17.

For this series, wicketkeeper Anjala Bandara and pacer Eshan Malinga have received call-ups to the national team. Bandara takes the place of Niroshan Dickwella, who was part of the squad that previously played against India. In addition, Pathum Nissanka has been included in the 15-player lineup, though his participation remains subject to fitness. The complete squad also features Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sonal Dinusha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, and Dilshan Madushanka.

Heading into these fixtures, Sri Lanka currently holds the seventh position in the World Test Championship points table, recording 33.33 percentage points. Meanwhile, their upcoming opponents, Pakistan, are positioned at the bottom of the same standings with a total of 4.63 percentage points.