Dasun Shanaka Returns for England Tour as Sri Lanka Leans on Experience

Sri Lanka are turning back to familiar leaders and fresh domestic form for their tour of England, with former captain Dasun Shanaka recalled to the ODI squad and Charith Asalanka restored to the T20I group after a standout Lanka Premier League.

Shanaka’s second act before a World Cup

Shanaka, out of ODI cricket since January 2024, returns to bolster a middle order that has lacked hardened experience in pressure situations. The 32-year-old has 71 ODIs behind him, 43 of those as captain, and while his batting average of 22.39 hardly leaps off the page, his presence does something else: it steadies a young dressing room ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup.

He comes back into an ODI group that recently edged a rain-hit three-match series in the Caribbean 1-0. From that squad, pacers Milan Rathnayake and Pramod Madushan miss out, with legspinner Sachindu Colombage the other fresh face alongside Shanaka.

Colombage’s inclusion adds another attacking wrist-spin option to an already spin-rich unit, one that will need craft and control in English conditions that can change by the hour.

Sri Lanka 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

Kusal Mendis continues as captain, with Asalanka elevated to full-time vice-captain across the tour, a clear sign of the trust placed in his temperament and growing influence.

Asalanka rides LPL wave into T20Is

If Shanaka’s return is about experience, Asalanka’s T20I recall is about form forcing the door open.

Left out of the T20I squad that toured West Indies, Asalanka responded with a commanding LPL campaign for champions Galle Gallants. He piled up 385 runs at an average of 38.50 and a strike-rate of 153.38, hammering four half-centuries and repeatedly setting or chasing down targets with authority.

Those numbers have not just brought him back into the T20I fold; they have effectively installed him as Mendis’ deputy for the entire England tour. It is a significant promotion for a player increasingly central to Sri Lanka’s white-ball plans.

The selectors have also rewarded another LPL standout. Lahiru Udara, the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 434 runs, returns to the T20I squad. His only previous T20I appearance came at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, but his recent domestic form leaves little doubt about his hitting range and consistency.

Janith Liyanage, an all-rounder who offers depth in both disciplines, and ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake also earn call-ups, reflecting Sri Lanka’s appetite for versatility in the shortest format.

To make room, Lasith Croospulle, Pavan Rathnayake, Milan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka drop out from the group that toured the Caribbean.

Sri Lanka 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

With Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana again at the heart of the attack, and slingers like Nuwan Thushara plus left-armer Binura Fernando in support, Sri Lanka have the tools to unsettle England’s hitters if they execute.

England tour: a sharp test in September

The tour begins on September 15 with a three-match T20I series, taking Sri Lanka through Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester. These are grounds that can offer swing under lights, grip for spinners, or flat tracks that punish any looseness. They will expose any rust quickly.

The ODIs follow, starting September 22 in Chester-le-Street before moving to Leeds and The Oval. With an ODI World Cup looming next year, every innings, every spell, every selection call in this series carries extra weight.

Sri Lanka arrive with recalled captains, LPL form horses and a spine of proven match-winners. England will test all of it.