Gunasekara, Rathnayake get maiden call-up for Test against Afghanistan

New Delhi [India], January 31 : Sri Lanka's uncapped pacers Chamika Gunasekara and Milan Rathnayake have been included in the squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan which will kick off on Friday.
The new Sri Lankan selection committee, led by Upul Tharanga, announced its first Test team. This match will be the first one for Dhananjaya de Silva as skipper of the national side.
Gunasekara has been included in the squad as he has performed well in the ongoing National Super League (NSL) which is a four-day competition. In the last two games, the right-arm speedster has snapped eight wickets at an average of 16.5.
On the other hand, Rathnayake has been chosen because of his performances for the Sri Lanka A side. Rathnayake has been picked for the second time in Tests. However, he hasn't played for Sri Lanka yet.
The opener Lahiru Udara has also been included in the side for the upcoming Test match. He has not played any Tests so far. He got into the squad as he impressed the selectors with his performance in the ongoing NSL. In a recent game against Galle, he slammed 100 and 72.
Opener Pathum Nissanka's name is missing from the list. He was part of the last series and has not played a Test since 2022. The left-arm seamer Dilshan Madhushanka is also missing the side that is currently playing in the International League T20 (ILT20) which is taking place in United Arab Emirates.
Sri Lanka Test squad vs Afghanistan: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Kusal Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Udara, Chamika Gunasekara, Milan Rathnayake.