Asalanka to captain Sri Lanka against New Zealand

Chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe confirmed the news

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that Bhanuka Asalanka will lead the Sri Lanka team against New Zealand in the upcoming three-match ODI series starting on August 29.

This will be the first time Asalanka will captain the national team. He has been in impressive form in recent months, scoring two half-centuries in the recent ODI series against Australia.

Wickramasinghe said that Asalanka was chosen for his leadership qualities and his ability to perform under pressure.

"Bhanuka is a very talented player who has consistently performed well for Sri Lanka. He has also shown great leadership qualities on and off the field. We believe that he is the right person to lead the team in this important series against New Zealand," Wickramasinghe said.

Asalanka will be looking to lead Sri Lanka to victory in the ODI series against New Zealand. The series will be a tough test for the Sri Lankan team, but Asalanka will be hoping to make a positive start to his captaincy career.

The first ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand will be played on August 29 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The second and third ODIs will be played on September 2 and 4 at the same venue.