Upul Tharanga has been named Sri Lanka ODI Captain for the upcoming tri-series in Zimbabwe which also involves West Indies.
31-year old left-handed batsman will lead the Sri Lankan side in the absence of injured regular Captain, Angelo Mathews and Vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal.
This will be the first time Tharanga leads the national side in international cricket while Kusal Janith Perera has been named vice-captain of the 15-man squad.
Tharanga is the highest run-getter out of the current players in Sri Lanka with 5526 runs in 188 matches and has amassed 13 centuries and 29 half-tons since making his debut in 2005.
The notable inclusions to the squad are experienced seamer, Nuwan Kulasekara, batting all-rounder Shehan Jayasuriya and right-arm leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.
Both Kulasekara and Vandersay played ODI cricket in early 2016 against New Zealand where the Islanders lost the five-match series, 3-1. Vandersay was out of action for almost 6 months due to a finger injury he sustained during practices.
Jayasuriya made 161 runs in 3 unofficial ODIs against West Indies A recently and last played ODI cricket against West Indies in November 2015.
Middle-order batsman, Asela Gunaratne who debuted in the recently concluded 1st Test in Zimbabwe has been named in the ODI squad for the first time.
Opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka, right-arm off-spinner Dilruwan Perera, all-rounder Thisara Perera and left-arm spinner Amila Aponso who featured in most games during the Australian series have been left out.
Fast-bowler Nuwan Pradeep has been declared fit and earns his rightful place in the squad alongside Suranga Lakmal and young speedster, Lahiru Kumara.
Sri Lanka ODI squad – Upul Tharanga (Captain), Kusal Janith Perera (Vice-Captain), Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Mendis, Shehan Jayasuriya, Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunarathne, Dasun Shanaka, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Sachith Pathirana, Lakshan Sandakan, Jeffrey Vandersay.
