# List of Sri Lanka national cricket captains

This is a list of all men, boys and women who have captained a Sri Lankan national cricket team at official international level. Sri Lanka became a full member of the International Cricket Council on 21 July 1981. Previously they were an associate member of the ICC from 1965, which made them eligible to compete in the ICC Trophy, the leading one-day tournament for associate members. Just after Sri Lanka gained Test status in 1981 a team of rebel players toured apartheid South Africa under the banner "Arosa Sri Lanka" (the term "Arosa" being derived from the promoter's name). All players who toured Sri Lanka were banned from official cricket matches for life, thereby setting Sri Lanka's development back. Sri Lanka's greatest success in One Day Internationals was when they won the Cricket World Cup in 1996 under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga.

## Men's cricket
### Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Sri Lankan cricket team for at least one Test match. The table of results is complete including the first Test against Bangladesh which ended on 4 February 2018. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which he captained at least one Test, that denotes that player captained this side for a minor proportion in a series.
Sri Lankan Test match captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Opposition | Location | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | W% |
| 1 | Bandula Warnapura | 1981/82 | England | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 1 | Bandula Warnapura | 1981/82 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 1 | Bandula Warnapura | 1982/83 | India | India | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 1 | Bandula Warnapura | Total | Total | Total | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1981/82† | Pakistan | Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1982/83 | Australia | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1983/84 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1984 | England | England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1985 | India | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1985/86 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1985/86 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1986/87 | India | India | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | 1986/87 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Duleep Mendis | Total | Total | Total | 19 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 10.53% |
| 3 | Somachandra de Silva | 1982/83 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 3 | Somachandra de Silva | Total | Total | Total | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 4 | Ranjan Madugalle | 1987/88 | Australia | Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 4 | Ranjan Madugalle | 1988 | England | England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 4 | Ranjan Madugalle | Total | Total | Total | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1989/90 | Australia | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1990/91 | India | India | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1990/91 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1992 | Australia | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1992/93 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1992/93 | England | Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1993 | India | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1993 | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1993/94 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1993/94 | India | India | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1994 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1994/95 | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1994/95 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1995/96 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1995/96 | Australia | Australia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1996/97 | Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1996/97 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1996/97 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1997 | West Indies | West Indies | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1997 | India | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1997/98 | India | India | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1997/98 | Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1997/98 | South Africa | South Africa | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1998 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1998 | England | England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1998/99 | India | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 5 | Arjuna Ranatunga | Total | Total | Total | 56 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 21.43% |
| 6 | Aravinda de Silva | 1991 | England | England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | Aravinda de Silva | 1991/92 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 6 | Aravinda de Silva | 1995/96† | Australia | Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | Aravinda de Silva | 1998/99† | Pakistan | Bangladesh | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | Aravinda de Silva | Total | Total | Total | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0% |
| 7 | Hashan Tillakaratne | 1998/99 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 7 | Hashan Tillakaratne | 2003 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 7 | Hashan Tillakaratne | 2003 | West Indies | West Indies | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 7 | Hashan Tillakaratne | 2003/04 | England | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% |
| 7 | Hashan Tillakaratne | 2003/04 | Australia | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| 7 | Hashan Tillakaratne | Total | Total | Total | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 1999 | Australia | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.3% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 1999/2000 | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 1999/2000 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2000 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2000 | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2000/01 | South Africa | South Africa | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2000/01 | England | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2001 | India | Sri Lanka | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2001/02 | Bangladesh$^1$ | Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2001/02 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2001/02 | Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2001/02 | Pakistan² | Pakistan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2002 | England | England | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2002 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 2002/03 | South Africa | South Africa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | Total | Total | Total | 38 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 47.37% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2002/03† | South Africa | South Africa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2004 | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2004 | Australia | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2004 | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2004/05 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2004/05 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2005 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2005/06 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | 2005/06 | India | India | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 9 | Marvan Atapattu | Total | Total | Total | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 44.44% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2005/06 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2005/06 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2006 | England | England | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2006 | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2006/07 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2007 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2007/08 | Australia | Australia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2007/08 | England | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2007/08 | West Indies | West Indies | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2008 | India | Sri Lanka | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2008/09 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2008/09 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2011/12 | England | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2012 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2012/13 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2012/13 | Australia | Australia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Mahela Jayawardene | Total | Total | Total | 38 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 47.37% |
| 11 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2009 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66% |
| 11 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2009 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 11 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2009/10 | India | India | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 11 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2010 | India | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| 11 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2010/11 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2011† | England | England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 11 | Kumar Sangakkara | Total | Total | Total | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 33.33% |
| 12 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 2011 | England | England | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 12 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 2011 | Australia | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 12 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 2011/12 | Pakistan | United Arab Emirates | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 12 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 2011/12 | South Africa | South Africa | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33% |
| 12 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | Total | Total | Total | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 9.09% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2012/13 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2013/14 | Pakistan | United Arab Emirates | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2013/14 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2014 | England | England | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2014 | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2014 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2014/15 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2015 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2015 | India | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2015/16 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2015/16 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2016 | England | England | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2016 | Australia | Sri Lanka | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | 2016/17 | South Africa | South Africa | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Angelo Mathews | Total | Total | Total | 34 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 38.24% |
| 14 | Rangana Herath | 2016/17 | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 14 | Rangana Herath | 2016/17 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 14 | Rangana Herath | 2017 | India | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Rangana Herath | Total | Total | Total | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2017 | Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2017 | India | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2017/18 | Pakistan | United Arab Emirates | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2017/18 | India | India | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2017/18 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2018 | West Indies | West Indies | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2018/19 | England | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2018/19 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2018/19 | Australia | Australia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2020/21 | England | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Dinesh Chandimal | Total | Total | Total | 19 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 21.05% |
| 16 | Suranga Lakmal | 2018 | West Indies | West Indies | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 16 | Suranga Lakmal | 2018 | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 16 | Suranga Lakmal | 2018/19 | England | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | Suranga Lakmal | Total | Total | Total | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2018/19 | South Africa | South Africa | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2019 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2019/20 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2019/20 | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2020/21 | South Africa | South Africa | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2020/21 | West Indies | West Indies | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2020/21 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2021/22 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2021/22 | India | India | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2022 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2022 | Australia | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2022 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2022/23 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2022/23 | Ireland | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2023 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Dimuth Karunaratne | Total | Total | Total | 30 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 41.85% |
| 18 | Dhananjaya de Silva | 2023/24 | Afghanistan | Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 18 | Dhananjaya de Silva | 2023/24 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 18 | Dhananjaya de Silva | 2024 | England | England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% |
| 18 | Dhananjaya de Silva | 2024/25 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| | | Total | Total | Total | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75% |
| Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | 321 | 106 | 123 | 92 | 33.02% |
Notes:
* $^1$ Asian Test Championship
* ² Final of the Asian Test Championship
Updated 27 March 2022

### Men's One-Day International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Sri Lankan cricket team for at least one One Day International. Sri Lanka's greatest success was when they won the 1996 cricket World Cup under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga.
Sri Lankan ODI captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Played | Won | Lost | NR | Tied | W% |
| 1 | Anura Tennekoon | 1975–1979 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 2 | Bandula Warnapura | 1979–1982 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 37.5% |
| 3 | Duleep Mendis | 1982–1987 | 61 | 11 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 18.03% |
| 4 | Somachandra de Silva | 1983 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Ranjan Madugalle | 1988 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 15.38% |
| 6 | Arjuna Ranatunga | 1988–1999 | 193 | 89 | 95 | 8 | 1 | 46.11% |
| 7 | Ravi Ratnayeke | 1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 8 | Aravinda de Silva | 1992–1996 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 27.78% |
| 9 | Roshan Mahanama | 1994 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 1998–2003 | 117 | 65 | 47 | 3 | 2 | 55.56% |
| 11 | Marvan Atapattu | 2001–2006 | 63 | 35 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 55.56% |
| 12 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2004–2013 | 126 | 68 | 49 | 8 | 1 | 53.97% |
| 13 | Chaminda Vaas | 2006 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2009–2011 | 45 | 27 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 60% |
| 15 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 2010–2012 | 26 | 11 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 42.31% |
| 16 | Angelo Mathews | 2012–2018 | 104 | 49 | 49 | 5 | 1 | 47.12% |
| 17 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2013-2018 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 18 | Lahiru Thirimanne | 2015-2019 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20% |
| 19 | Upul Tharanga | 2016–2017 | 21 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 19.05% |
| 20 | Chamara Kapugedera | 2017 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 21 | Lasith Malinga | 2017–2019 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 22 | Thisara Perera | 2017 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33.33% |
| 23 | Dimuth Karunaratne | 2019–2021 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 62.5% |
| 24 | Kusal Perera | 2021 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 33.3% |
| 25 | Dasun Shanaka | 2021–2023 | 41 | 23 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 58.9% |
| 26 | Kusal Mendis | 2023–present | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 33.12% |
| Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | 915 | 420 | 450 | 40 | 5 | 45.88% |
Updated 15 February 2024

### Twenty20 International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Sri Lankan cricket team for at least one Twenty20 International.
Sri Lanka T20I captains :
| No. | Name | First | Last | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Win% |
| 1 | Mahela Jayawardene | 2006 | 2012 | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 65.78% |
| 2 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 2008 | 2011 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 40.0% |
| 3 | Kumar Sangakkara | 2009 | 2012 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 59.09% |
| 4 | Thilina Kandamby | 2011 | 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 5 | Angelo Mathews | 2012 | 2021 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 40.00% |
| 6 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2013 | 2018 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 50.00% |
| 7 | Lasith Malinga | 2014 | 2020 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 32.60% |
| 8 | Upul Tharanga | 2017 | 2017 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 50.00% |
| 9 | Thisara Perera | 2017 | 2018 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 00.00% |
| 10 | Dasun Shanaka | 2019 | 2023 | 48 | 22 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 47.91% |
| 11 | Kusal Perera | 2021 | 2021 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 12 | Sahan Arachchige | 2023 | 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 13 | Wanindu Hasaranga | 2024 | 2024 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 60% |
| 14 | Charith Asalanka | 2024 | 2024 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 20% |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 192 | 85 | 100 | 4 | 2 | 45.76% |
Updated: 14 July 2024

### ICC Trophy

The ICC Trophy is the leading one-day tournament from non-Test teams, and Sri Lanka participated in the tournament before they gained Test status. This is a list of the men who captained Sri Lanka in the ICC Trophy.
Sri Lankan ICC Trophy captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Played | Won | Tied | Lost | No result | Where finished |
| 1 | Anura Tennekoon | 1979 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Winners |
| 2 | Bandula Warnapura | 1979 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Winners |
| Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |

## Other Men's captains
### Rebel tours to South Africa

In October and November 1982 a group of Sri Lankan cricketers went on a private tour of apartheid South Africa. It was the first time a tour comprising all non-white cricketers had toured white South Africa (a team of Kenyan Asians had previously visited the black areas of South Africa, and the International Wanderers XI

## Women's cricket
### Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Sri Lankan women's cricket team for at least one women's Test match. Sri Lanka have played only one women's Test.
Sri Lankan women's Test match captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Opposition | Location | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn |
| 1 | Rasanjali Silva | 1997 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

### Women's One-Day International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Sri Lankan women's cricket team for at least one women's one-day international. The table of results is complete to the women's ODI against South Africa in the World Cup in 2004/5. Sri Lanka have never reached the semi-final stage in women's World Cups.
Sri Lankan women's ODI captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Played | Won | Tied | Lost | No result |
| 1 | Vanessa Bowen | 1997 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Rasanjali Silva | 1998–2000 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | Suthershini Sivanantham | 2002–03 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Thanuja Ekanayake | 2004 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Chandimali Samanthi | 2004 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Sandamali Dolawatta | 2005–2013 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 7 | Shashikala Siriwardene | 2005–2017 | 54 | 18 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 8 | Chamani Seneviratna | 2010 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | Dilani Manodara | 2010 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 10 | Chamari Athapaththu | 2014–2015 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 11 | Eshani Kaushalya | 2015 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Inoka Ranaweera | 2017 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | 128 | 51 | 0 | 72 | 5 |

### Women's Twenty20International captains

Sri Lankan women's T20I captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Played | Won | Tied | Lost | No result |
| 1 | Chamari Polgampola | 2009 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Chamani Seneviratna | 2010 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | Shashikala Siriwardene | 2010–2014 | 31 | 9 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| 4 | Dilani Manodara | 2012 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | Chamari Athapaththu | 2014–2015 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | 57 | 16 | 0 | 38 | 3 |

## Youth cricket
### Test match captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Sri Lankan Under-19 cricket team for at least one under-19 Test match. The table of results is complete to the second "Test" against Pakistan in 2004/5. Where a player has a dagger (†) next to a Test match series in which he captained at least one Test, that denotes that player was captain for a minor proportion in a series. The very nature of Under-19 cricket means that in practice no youth captains the side for more than one year.
Sri Lankan Under-19 Test match captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Opposition | Location | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn |
| 1 | Aravinda de Silva | 1983/4 | Australia | Australia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Roshan Mahanama | 1984/5 | Australia | Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Asanka Gurusinha | 1986 | England | England | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Denham Madena | 1986/7 | England | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Suchithra Alexander | 1992 | England | England | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Avishka Gunawardene | 1993/4 | England | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Nimesh Perera | 1996/7 | India | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Upekha Fernando | 1998/9 | India | India | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Kaushalya Weeraratne | 2000 | England | England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Thilina Kandamby | 2000/1 | Australia | Australia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | Farveez Maharoof | 2003 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Harsha Vithana | 2005 | Pakistan | Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Angelo Mathews | 2005 | England | England | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | Sachith Pathirana | 2007 | India | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2009 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 17 | Chathura Peiris | 2010 | England | England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Bhanuka Rajapaksa | 2011 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 19 | Kusal Mendis | 2013 | India | Sri Lanka | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | 47 | 6 | 14 | 27 |

### Youth One-Day International captains

This is a list of cricketers who have captained the Sri Lankan Under-19 cricket team for at least one Under-19 One Day International. The table of results is complete to the end of the 2005/6 Afro-Asia Cup. Sri Lanka's best result in the Under-19 World Cup was as runners-up in 1999/2000 under the captaincy of Malintha Gajanayake.
Sri Lankan Under-19 ODI captains :
| Number | Name | Year | Played | Won | Tied | Lost | No result |
| 1 | Aravinda de Silva | 1983/4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Asanka Gurusinha | 1986 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Denham Madena | 1986/7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Rohan Weerakkody | 1987/8 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Marvan Atapattu | 1989/90 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | Avishka Gunawardene | 1993/4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Pradeep Hewage | 1997/8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | Upekha Fernando | 1998/9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Prasanna Jayawardene | 1998/9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Malintha Gajanayake | 1999/2000 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | Kaushalya Weeraratne | 2000 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | Thilina Kandamby | 2000/1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | Dhammika Niroshana | 2001/2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 14 | Jeewan Mendis | 2001/2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Farveez Maharoof | 2003-2003/4 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 16 | Harsha Vithana | 2004/5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Angelo Mathews | 2005–2006 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 18 | Sameera de Zoysa | 2006 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Sachith Pathirana | 2007 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 20 | Ashan Priyanjan | 2007/08 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 21 | Dinesh Chandimal | 2009 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 22 | Chathura Peiris | 2009/10 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 23 | Bhanuka Rajapaksa | 2009–2011 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 24 | Yashodha Lanka | 2011 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Angelo Jayasinghe | 2011 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 26 | Sanitha de Mel | 2012 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 27 | Kusal Mendis | 2013/14 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 28 | Sadeera Samarawickrama | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Charith Asalanka | 2015/16 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Grand total | Grand total | Grand total | 225 | 105 | 0 | 108 | 12 |