Sri Lanka’s Test captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, has been reflecting on what might have been, as he and his team missed out on a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, a place now claimed by South Africa at Lord’s. This season marks the first full WTC cycle under de Silva’s captaincy, and he is eager to set a determined tone ahead of their opening Test against Bangladesh.
“If we’d managed to win three of our last four matches, we could have been playing at Lord’s this week,” de Silva stated, pointing to their disappointing finish of sixth in the WTC table. The team faced defeats in both South Africa and at home against Australia, missing a significant opportunity to reach the final stages.
In their previous WTC cycle, Sri Lanka entered the final round of matches with a slim chance of advancing to the finals. Now, with a new cycle beginning, de Silva is focused on ensuring that they seize every opportunity, especially in their upcoming home series. “It’s crucial we start strong, particularly with these home games, as every point matters,” de Silva explained.
Sri Lanka’s Test schedule presents more challenges ahead, with a nearly year-long gap before their tour of the West Indies in mid-2026 and only 12 Tests scheduled in this cycle. Past players, Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews, have voiced concerns over the decreasing number of Test matches available to the team. Nevertheless, de Silva remains focused on the task at hand. “Our role as professionals is to adapt. We must focus on winning the matches we play. It’s out of our hands how many we get,” he said.
In preparation for their new WTC cycle, Sri Lanka has introduced six uncapped players into the squad, in part due to their impressive domestic performances. As de Silva noted, “We’ve had a productive National Super League, which has provided excellent preparation and highlighted promising young talent.”
As Sri Lanka looks forward, the focus is clear: maximising opportunities in the WTC cycle, making the most of available Tests, and nurturing emerging talent as they set their sights on future success.
