Dickwella Returns: Sri Lanka Name Their Squad for the First Test Against India
Published on August 14, 2026
Summary Overview: Sri Lanka have named a 16-member squad for the first Test against India in Galle, with Niroshan Dickwella recalled and Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka missing. Full squad and analysis.
Dickwella Returns: Sri Lanka Name Their Squad for the First Test Against India
By Cricket Daily
Sri Lanka have named their squad for the opening Test against India in Galle, and it comes with a familiar face back in the fold and a couple of notable absentees. Before the detail, here are the quick answers.
Have Sri Lanka announced their squad?
Yes. Sri Lanka have named a 16-member squad, specifically for the first Test. They typically pick on a match-by-match basis, so a squad for the second Test will follow.
Who is captaining Sri Lanka?
Dhananjaya de Silva continues as Test captain, with the exciting young all-rounder Kamindu Mendis as his vice-captain.
What is the big news?
Wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella returns to Test cricket after three years away, coming in because regular keeper Kusal Mendis is injured. Experienced opener Pathum Nissanka is also missing.
When and where is the first Test?
In Galle from 15 August, followed by the second Test in Colombo from 23 August.
Now, the full picture.
Home advantage in the spin fortress
For Sri Lanka, this series is all about conditions. Both Tests count towards the World Test Championship, the two-year competition that decides the best Test side, and Sri Lanka will back themselves at home.
The first Test is at Galle, one of the great spin-friendly venues in world cricket. For newcomers, that means the pitch is expected to turn sharply and reward slow bowling, especially as the match wears on. It is a ground where Sri Lanka have humbled big teams before, and where their spinners can be close to unplayable. That single fact shapes this entire squad.
The Dickwella return
The headline selection is Niroshan Dickwella. The experienced wicketkeeper-batter is back in the Test set-up after last playing the format against New Zealand in 2023, a three-year absence.
His recall was forced by circumstance. Sri Lanka's first-choice wicketkeeper, Kusal Mendis, has been ruled out through injury, opening the door for Dickwella to return behind the stumps. A gloveman with plenty of international experience and a positive, counter-attacking batting style, he adds a known quantity at a moment when Sri Lanka needed one.
Two key men missing
Dickwella is not the only change forced by fitness. Alongside Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka are without experienced top-order batter Pathum Nissanka, who is still recovering from wrist surgery.
Losing two established batters is a real blow, because it thins out a batting order that already leans heavily on a few senior names. Veteran Dinesh Chandimal and captain Dhananjaya de Silva now carry even more responsibility, with opener Nishan Madushka and the emerging talents around them needing to step up.
Fresh faces in contention
With those absences comes opportunity, and this squad is dotted with players who could earn a first Test cap. Uncapped batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara has been rewarded for heavy run-scoring in domestic cricket, and off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha earns a maiden call-up after strong first-class form. Left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka, who has played just one Test, has also been recalled.
Blooding new players in home conditions, where the pressure is slightly lower and the spinners do the heavy lifting, is a sensible way for Sri Lanka to build depth for the future.
Built for turning tracks
Unsurprisingly for Galle, the squad is loaded with slow-bowling options. Frontline left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, a proven match-winner on these pitches, leads the attack, supported by off-spinning all-rounder Ramesh Mendis, the maiden call-up Keshara Nuwantha, and slow left-armer Sonal Dinusha. Captain de Silva and vice-captain Kamindu Mendis, who can bowl with both arms, offer even more variety.
That does not mean the seamers are ignored. Sri Lanka have picked four specialist fast bowlers in Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka, giving them the firepower to strike with the new ball before the spinners take over.
What it all means
This is a Sri Lanka side shaped by two things: the demands of Galle and the absence of two important players. The spin depth makes them dangerous at home against anyone, including an India team that has itself packed its squad with slow bowlers, so this series is shaping up as a genuine spin battle. But the missing batters are a worry, and how the likes of Chandimal, de Silva and the newcomers hold the innings together could decide the outcome.
Get the batting right, and Sri Lanka have the bowling to trouble India in these conditions. Get it wrong, and even home advantage may not be enough.
Keep it locked to Cricket Daily for the second Test squad, playing XI news, and full coverage of India's tour of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's squad for the first Test
Batters: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Lahiru Udana
Wicketkeeper: Niroshan Dickwella
All-rounders: Kamindu Mendis (vice-captain), Ramesh Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Sonal Dinusha
Spinners: Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha
Pace bowlers: Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka
Recent Test form
Sri Lanka's recent results tell a clear home-and-away story, and it is encouraging for them heading into Galle.
Their last assignment was a tough tour of the West Indies in mid-2026. They were hammered in the first Test, bowled out for 308 and then just 101 to lose by an innings and 217 runs, before batting far better to salvage a draw in the second and lose the series 1-0. At home, though, they are a different animal, having beaten Bangladesh in a 2025 home series, sealed by an innings-and-78-run win in the second Test after a rain-hit draw in the first.
Their most recent Tests, newest first:
- Drew with West Indies (July 2026, away)
- Lost to West Indies by an innings and 217 runs (June 2026, away)
- Beat Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs (2025, home)
- Drew with Bangladesh (2025, home)
The takeaway is simple. Sri Lanka have struggled on the road but are strong in their own backyard, and this series is at home on the turning pitches where they are at their most dangerous. That home comfort is exactly what they will be banking on against India.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Niroshan Dickwella back?
He returns to Test cricket after three years to keep wicket, following an injury to first-choice keeper Kusal Mendis.
Who else is missing?
Experienced batter Pathum Nissanka is unavailable as he recovers from wrist surgery.
Who could make their Test debut?
Uncapped batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara and off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha are both in line for a first Test cap.