Oct 8 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva has stepped down as test captain but will remain available for selection, the country's cricket board said on Thursday.
De Silva, 35, succeeded Dimuth Karunaratne as test captain in January 2024 and led Sri Lanka in 18 tests, winning seven.
"It's my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation," de Silva said in a letter to the selection committee.
His resignation comes after a difficult year for Sri Lanka, who are seventh in the World Test Championship standings after losing a test series in West Indies and suffering a home series defeat by India.
De Silva has played 69 tests for Sri Lanka and remains one of the side's most experienced players. Sri Lanka Cricket has not yet announced his successor.
Sri Lanka's next test assignment is a two-match series against Pakistan beginning in Rawalpindi on November 9.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
