Sri Lanka Test Captain Dhananjaya de Silva has revealed the reasons behind Niroshan Dickwella’s inclusion in the squad for the upcoming series against India.

Addressing the media, de Silva said Dickwella was initially left out after Kusal Mendis was brought in at No. 7.

However, Dickwella has been included in the squad following Kusal Mendis being ruled out of the test series due to injury . 

“When playing in Galle, an important aspect is to have someone with strong glovework and wicketkeeping. This decision was taken after discussions with the selectors and coaches. Dickwella emerged among the top candidates when considering glovework,” Dhananjaya de Silva said, explaining the reason for Dickwella’s inclusion. 

The two‑match Test series against India begins tomorrow (15) in Galle, with the second Test scheduled for August 23 in Colombo. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva has been rewarded for his Player of the Match heroics during the first Test against Bangladesh by making giant strides on the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.

The Sri Lanka skipper scored twin tons in Sylhet to help his side register a commanding 328-run victory over their Asian rival and in the process rose to a new career-high rating on the updated rankings for Test batters.

Men’s Test Batter Rankings

De Silva shot up a whopping 15 places to 14th overall following scores of 102 and 108, with the 32-year-old improving to a best-ever figure of 695 rating points to be within just 40 rating points of breaking into the top 10 Test batters in the world.

Kamindu Mendis also contributed twin tons during the first Test against Bangladesh and the left-hander re-entered the rankings for Test batters in equal 64th place following an eye-catching performance in what was just his second Test appearance.

Veteran left-hander Mominul Haque played a lone hand for Bangladesh with an unbeaten 87* in the second innings in Sylhet and rose eight places to 50th on the list for Test batters as a result.

There was more joy for Sri Lanka’s players on the updated rankings for Test bowlers, with right-arm quick Kasun Rajitha among the biggest movers following his five-wicket haul in the second innings against Bangladesh.

Men’s Test Bowler Rankings

It helped Rajitha move up six places to 38th overall, while teammates Vishwa Fernando (up seven spots to 43rd) and Lahiru Kumara (up six rungs to equal  46th) also made some ground following impressive performances with the ball.

India duo Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin maintain their spots at the head of the Test rankings for all-rounders, with Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan (up one place to 14th) and de Silva (up five spots to equal 25th) the notable movers this week. (ICC)

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Outgoing Sri Lanka Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne has expressed his public support for new skipper Dhananjaya de Silva.

In a special message to his fellow cricketer, Dimuth Karunaratne heaped praise on Dhananjaya de Silva and his growth over the past few years. 

Dimuth Karunaratne also assured support on and off the field during Dhananjaya de Silva’s tenure. 

Outgoing Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne’s message is as follows;

Cricket Fans world over, as I finally hand over the reins of the SL Test Captaincy after a decent and memorable stint, who better other than to you Dhananjaya De Silva an excellent all-round athlete in my books.

Dhana I’ve watched you grow & develop into a very mature and fantastic Cricketer over the years. Smart, Ice cool and a very shrewd Cricket brain, I may add. More so your own style you adapt and also that very famous smile you always wear every time on & off the field! 

I am very Confident SL Test Cricket is in very safe hands and will be going forward through your tenure as Skipper. I’ll be there to support you on and off the field rest assured. Cheers & Blessings Bro (NewsWire)

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Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has highlighted Sri Lankan cricketer Dhananjaya de Silva as a potential high performer in the ongoing 2023 Asia Cup cricket series. 

Ashwin has praised Dhananjaya de Silva for his outstanding performance in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the test series against Pakistan.

“DDS exhibits talent and class during his performance. He is also a natural while fielding. DDS is an exceptional player. What Litton Das is to Bangladesh is what Dhananjaya de Silva is to Sri Lanka,” Ashwin claimed.

Ashwin believes that Dhananjaya de Silva has yet to completely justify his talent for Sri Lanka, expressing hope that he becomes more consistent in the white-ball format.

India’s Ashwin also questioned the absence of young batter Nuwanidu Fernando, claiming that he is another player who exhibited class during his performance against India earlier this year.

Calling him a tall and lanky opening batsman, Ashwin said that Nuwanidu Fernando is a hard hitter with less effort, which is rare among cricketers. 

“This kind of batting depends on the timing and the push that they are able to give at the end. It is a natural gift for Nuwanidu Fernando,” he said.

Ashwin compared Nuwanindu Fernando’s batting style to Indian Cricket Legend VVS Lakshman.

India’s Ashwin added that he hopes Sri Lanka will identify Nuwanidu Fernando’s talent and start backing him. 

Ravichandran Ashwin shared these views while speaking during his YouTube talk show commenting on the teams in the ongoing 2023 Asia Cup cricket tournament. (NewsWire)

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