Former Sri Lankan cricketer and current chief selector of Sri Lanka Cricket, Upul Tharanga, has opened the door for a possible change in the T20I captaincy. He confirmed that the board may consider removing Charith Asalanka as captain. Sri Lanka will co-host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with India. The tournament is scheduled to be played from February 7 to March 8 next year.
Tharanga did not clearly say that Asalanka will be removed. But he hinted that a decision could be taken soon after discussions with the coach and selectors. He said the team management has limited time before the World Cup. So they must be very careful with changes.
“We have to weigh our best options after this series. With a World Cup so close, we can’t make a lot of big changes. The selectors, after talking to the coach, will have to make a decision on what’s best for the team,” stated Asalanka, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Charith Asalanka still part of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 plans
Tharanga also explained why Dasun Shanaka was named the stand-in captain during the ongoing T20I tri-nation series in Pakistan. Asalanka missed the series due to illness. Tharanga said that was the only reason for the temporary change in leadership. He also accepted that Asalanka has not been scoring many runs in T20Is recently.
“Charith is still our captain. It’s because of an illness to him that we appointed Dasun as our stand-in captain. Charith is still the captain in our plans. We haven’t made a decision to change that. We’ve planned all along for Charith to captain this World Cup. We’ll see what happens. We haven’t made a decision about that yet. Charith hasn’t been among the runs in T20Is, and because of an illness, he was forced to return home,” he added.
Despite all the talks about his future as T20I captain, Tharanga made it clear that Asalanka will remain a key player for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup 2026. He praised Asalanka’s ability and experience. He also mentioned how the left-hander has won matches for Sri Lanka in tough situations.
“Charith is a very talented cricketer, with a lot of experience. I’m sure he’ll be an important cricketer for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup. We’ve seen what he can do in the middle order, where sometimes he’s won games by himself. He’s in our World Cup plans,” concluded Tharanga.
Looking at Asalanka’s T20I record, he has scored 1,357 runs in 70 matches. His strike rate is 126.35. He has also bowled occasionally and has taken seven wickets with an economy rate of 7.98.
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