Sri Lanka Announce 17-Member Squad for South Africa Test Series
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| Sri Lanka, currently 3rd in the WTC standings, eyeing a spot in the WTC Final at Lord’s next year. / Getty |
Sri Lanka has named a 17-member squad for their upcoming two-Test series against South Africa, starting November 27, with a crucial spot in next year’s ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at stake.
The series will see the third-ranked Sri Lanka take on the fifth-ranked Proteas, both with strong ambitions of making it to the WTC Final at Lord’s.
Key Comebacks for Sri Lanka
The squad features two notable inclusions, with both Lasith Embuldeniya and Kasun Rajitha making their returns to the Test setup. Embuldeniya, the 28-year-old slow-left arm orthodox bowler, is named in the squad for the first time in two years. His last Test appearance was in June 2022 during Sri Lanka’s series against Australia. With 71 wickets from 17 Test matches, Embuldeniya brings valuable experience to Sri Lanka’s spin attack.
Also making a comeback is pacer Kasun Rajitha, who was absent from Sri Lanka's recent Test series against England and New Zealand. The 31-year-old has taken 55 wickets in 18 Test matches at an average of 29.58, and his return strengthens the Sri Lankan pace attack for the challenging conditions in South Africa.
Sri Lanka's Strong Form
Sri Lanka enters the series with strong momentum, having won a Test in England and secured a 2-0 sweep against New Zealand at home. Currently ranked third in the WTC standings, Sri Lanka is in a favorable position to make a push for a spot in the WTC Final next year. Only Australia and India are ahead of them in the standings, and Sri Lanka will look to build on their recent successes in order to remain in contention.
South Africa, with the advantage of playing at home, will pose a tough challenge, but Sri Lanka is well-prepared to take on the Proteas, having proven their strength in both spin and pace bowling.
Sri Lanka Squad:
- Dhananjaya de Silva (c)
- Pathum Nissanka
- Dimuth Karunaratne
- Dinesh Chandimal
- Angelo Mathews
- Kusal Mendis
- Kamindu Mendis
- Oshada Fernando
- Sadeera Samarawickrama
- Prabath Jayasuriya
- Nishan Peiris
- Lasith Embuldeniya
- Milan Rathnayake
- Asitha Fernando
- Vishwa Fernando
- Lahiru Kumara
- Kasun Rajitha
With the series set to kick off in Durban on November 27, all eyes will be on how these two sides perform, with the World Test Championship Final looming large on the horizon.