Sri Lanka on Wednesday sacked one-day captain Dimuth Karunaratne and dropped him and a host of other big names from the squad heading for Bangladesh this week.

Two other former skippers – Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal – were also dropped along with Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep.

Kusal Perera has been named as the new captain, with Kusal Mendis as his deputy.

Karunaratne, a 33-year-old left-hand batsman, has played 34 ODI matches and scored 767 runs for Sri Lanka. Mathews had featured in 218 ODIs, scored 5,835 runs and claimed 120 wickets.

Chandimal has scored 3,698 runs in 149 ODIs.

Sri Lanka Cricket did not say why the players had been dropped.

The squad is to leave Sri Lanka for Bangladesh on Sunday and play their first ODI on 23 May. The other two matches will be on 25 and 28 May.

Sri Lanka squad:

Kusal Perera (c), Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Dasun Shanaka, Ashen Bandara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Akila Dananjaya, Niroshan Dickwella, Dushmantha Chameera, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Lakshan Sandakan, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Shiran Fernando.

– AFP