Kumar Sangakkara: Sri Lanka's new captain

Kumar Sangakkara: Sri Lanka's new captain

Kumar Sangakkara has been named the captain of Sri Lanka team for the ICC World Twenty20 in England from June 12–21, for which the Sri Lanka selectors have named a provisional 25-man squad. Muttiah Muralitharan has been appointed Sangakkara’s deputy.

The 31-year-old left-handed batsman and wicketkeeper, who was vice-captain for three years and has played 80 Tests and 246 ODIs since his Test debut against South Africa in 2000, was the frontrunner to succeed Mahela Jayawardene, who stepped down as captain after the tour of Pakistan which was abandoned when the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked in Lahore on March 3.

Having cancelled the tour to Pakistan, Sri Lanka do not have any international engagements till the ICC World Twenty20, and the selectors would take a long-term decision on the captaincy and also choose a final squad of 15 for the tournament after the ongoing Inter-provincial Twenty20 tournament ends on April 5.