Opening batsman Upul Tharanga will captain the Sri Lanka cricket team for the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against Zimbabwe while Kusal Janith Perera has been named as his deputy, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said. 

Sri Lanka Cricket today also announced that the national team will wear black armbands as a mark of respect for late Pandit W. A Amaradeva when they take the field in Harare for the 2nd Test match against Zimbabwe commencing on Sunday (6).

Tharanga scored a century in Sri Lanka’s victory in the first Test against Zimbabwe at Harare this week - his first in more than a decade. He made a comeback to the one-day team earlier in the year, during the tour of England and Ireland, but was dropped for the home series against Australia, only playing in the fifth ODI after the series was lost.

Veteran seamer Nuwan Kulasekara has been recalled to the 15-man squad for their tri-series also involving West Indies.

Kulasekara’s last ODI came on the tour of New Zealand at the start of the year. He announced his retirement from Tests in in June, in order to prolong his limited-overs career, and took 2 for 65 for Sri Lanka A against West Indies A last week.

Jeffrey Vandersay is also back in the squad after a finger injury, having last played for Sri Lanka at the World T20. Allrounder Asela Gunaratne and seamer Lahiru Kumara, who both made their Test debuts in Harare, were included and could win their first ODI caps; Kumara, 19, has yet to even play a List A game.

Sri Lanka secured a late 225-run win against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Harare Sports Club on November 2, their first Test encounter under the captaincy of veteran bowler Rangana Herath.

Herath is the first bowler to lead the national side in 33 years.

Sri Lanka play their second Test in Harare on the 6th and will be looking to cement their series victory and step up the ladder in the MRF Test Rankings.