Sri Lanka Cricket has named a 16-member squad for the first Test against India, starting August 15 in Galle, with Dhananjaya de Silva confirmed as captain and Kamindu Mendis as vice-captain. Senior batters Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka have both been ruled out through injury, while Niroshan Dickwella returns as wicketkeeper after a three-year absence. The squad carries a spin trio of Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha, alongside a pace unit yet to be broken down in detail.
Sri Lanka go into the opening Test of this World Test Championship cycle assignment against India without two of their most established batters. Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, both ruled out through injury, leave a squad reshaped at short notice ahead of the August 15 start in Galle.
Dhananjaya de Silva takes the captaincy, with Kamindu Mendis installed as his deputy. The two injury absences and a recall for Niroshan Dickwella mean the batting order and the gloves will look different from Sri Lanka’s recent Test line-ups.
Two senior batters missing at the same time
Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka were both named among the injury absentees when Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed the squad. Losing both players from the same squad for a series opener against India represents a significant depletion of experience at the top of the WTC cycle campaign. Niroshan Dickwella returns to Test cricket after a three-year absence, recalled specifically to fill the wicketkeeping role vacated by Kusal Mendis’s injury.
Spin options built around Jayasuriya and a 25-year-old off-spinner
The squad’s spin department includes Ramesh Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya, both established Test operators, alongside 25-year-old off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha.
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Details of the pace bowling contingent have not been specified beyond a general description of the unit as formidable. No individual quick bowlers have been confirmed in the squad breakdown available.
Leadership settled, series stakes high
Dhananjaya de Silva’s captaincy and Kamindu Mendis’s elevation to vice-captain give Sri Lanka a settled leadership group heading into a series that carries direct weight in the ICC World Test Championship cycle for both sides. The first Test begins August 15 in Galle.
Attention now turns to how India respond to a Sri Lanka side missing two senior batters but strengthened by Dickwella’s return and a three-pronged spin attack. The Galle Test will set the tone for the rest of the WTC cycle series.
Venue: Galle
Match Date: August 15, 2026 (Saturday)
Sri Lanka Captain: Dhananjaya de Silva
Sri Lanka Vice-Captain: Kamindu Mendis
Ruled Out (Injury): Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka
Recalled: Niroshan Dickwella (wicketkeeper, first Test squad in three years)
Spin Options: Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha (25, off-spinner)
