Why Kusal Mendis is Ruled Out of SL T20I Squad For England Tour? New Captain Revealed

Sri Lanka's white-ball captain Kusal Mendis has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against England. The Sri Lankan captain has yet not recovered from the injury that he sustained during the Lanka Premier League.

Sri Lanka will tour England for a T20I and an ODI series, each consisting of three matches. This white-ball tour begins on September 15 at Southampton and will end on September 27 at The Oval. But Kusal Mendis hamstring injury will weaken the visitors as they aim to upset the favorites England.

Why Kusal Mendis is Not Playing ENG vs SL T20I Series?

Kusal Mendis has been ruled out of the ENG vs SL T20Is as he continues his recovery from the hamstring injury. He injured himself during the LPL 2026 season and was ultimately ruled out of the entire tournament.

With Kusal Mendis out of the T20Is, middle order batter Charith Asalanka has been appointed SL T20I captain for England tour. Asalanka is a former Sri Lanka captain and has the experience of leading the team in white-ball formats.

Meanwhile, Pavan Rathnayake has been picked as Kusal Mendis replacement for ENG T20I series. Rathnayake is a talented batter who had a decent T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Kusal Mendis' absence from the T20I series against England is a big blow to Sri Lanka's chances. He is one of the best batsmen in the world and adds a lot of value to this batting order.

Is Kusal Mendis Ruled Out of ENG vs SL ODI Series?

While he has been ruled out of the entire T20Is, Mendis is still a part of Sri Lanka squad for the ODI series against England. The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) feels that he will be fit till the ODI series begins.

The ENG vs SL ODI series will start from September 22 in Chester-le-Street, one of the best cricket stadiums in England. Both sides will have an eye on the next year's ODI World Cup, which will be played in South Africa.

England will start as favorites in both the formats as they have a well-settled team for these conditions. However, Sri Lanka have some of the most talented cricketers who are capable of pulling off upsets.