Dasun Shanaka Returns to ODI Squad as Sri Lanka Prepares for England Tour
Sri Lanka are turning to old hands and hot form for their tour of England, with former captain Dasun Shanaka recalled to the ODI squad and Charith Asalanka restored to prominence across formats after a standout Lanka Premier League campaign.
Shanaka returns to shore up ODI middle order
Shanaka, out of the ODI side since January 2024, has been brought back for the three-match series that follows the T20Is. His inclusion is a clear nod to experience in a World Cup lead-up that offers little margin for drift.
The 32-year-old has 71 ODIs behind him and has captained in 43 of those. The numbers with the bat – an average of 22.39 – tell a story of unfulfilled potential rather than dominance, but the selectors have opted for his know-how in English conditions and his ability to close out tense games with bat, ball or simply presence.
He joins a squad that edged a rain-hit series 1-0 in the Caribbean in June, with pacers Milan Rathnayake and Pramod Madushan making way. The other fresh face in the ODI group is uncapped legspinner Sachindu Colombage, a move that underlines Sri Lanka’s continued faith in spin variety even on a tour of England.
ODI squad for England: Kusal Mendis (captain), Charith Asalanka (vice-captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Sachindu Colombage, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.
Asalanka’s resurgence headlines T20 push
If Shanaka’s recall speaks to experience, Asalanka’s return to the T20I fold is a reward for weight of runs.
Left out of the T20I squad that toured West Indies, Asalanka forced his way back through a prolific LPL season for champions Galle Gallants. He piled up 385 runs at 38.50 with a strike-rate of 153.38, hammering four half-centuries and reminding everyone of his ability to control an innings while still clearing the ropes.
That form has not only earned him a place in the T20I squad; it has cemented his status as vice-captain for the entire tour, behind Kusal Mendis, who continues as captain in both white-ball formats.
The T20 group also reflects the domestic pecking order. Lahiru Udara, the LPL’s leading run-scorer with 434 runs, is in after his lone T20I outing at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Janith Liyanage adds another all-round option, while ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake offers a rare tactical wildcard.
Those inclusions come at a cost. Lasith Croospulle, Pavan Rathnayake, Milan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka, all part of the Caribbean tour, drop out of the T20I plans for this trip.
T20I squad for England: Kusal Mendis (captain), Charith Asalanka (vice-captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Tharindu Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando.
England tour sets stage for World Cup run-in
The tour begins with a three-match T20I series starting September 15, taking Sri Lanka through Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester. The ODIs follow on September 22 in Chester-le-Street, then Leeds and The Oval.
By the time they leave England, Sri Lanka will know a lot more about two things: whether Shanaka still has a defining chapter left in ODIs, and whether the LPL’s brightest performers can translate domestic dominance into world-stage impact.
