Dhanananjaya de Silva will lead the the 16-member squad. Sri Lanka enter the home series after a memorable overseas victory against England at The Oval.

The outfit that toured England has mostly remained the same for the home series too. Oshada Fernando has replaced Nishan Madushka, while Kasun Rajitha and Nisala Tharaka have been omitted. With more than a year of hiatus, the series marks Fernando’s much-awaited return. Coincidentally, his previous outing was against New Zealand in 2023 in Wellington.

Pathum Nissanka, who starred with a brilliant fourth-innings century at The Kia Oval, would like to cash in on the good form. Sri Lanka will also bank upon Kamindu Mendis to continue with the rapid start to his international career. Against England, Mendis scored his third Test ton in only his fourth appearance and currently has 695 runs from six outings.

The hosts’ pace cartel comprises of Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, and Milan Rathnayake, while Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay, and Ramesh and Kamindu Mendis make up their spin flotilla, with skipper de Silva as the fifth spin option.

Marcus Trescothick, interim white-ball head coach, has shared an update on Jofra Archer’s workload in the lead-up to the Australia ODIs.

Read here ➡️ https://t.co/l11YkbGHau pic.twitter.com/boS5cWqV2i

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 16, 2024

Sri Lanka squad for New Zealand Tests

Batters

Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando

All-rounders

Dhananjaya De Silva (c), Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis

Wicketkeepers

Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis

Bowlers

Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay

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