Eshan Malinga Earns Maiden Test Call-Up for Sri Lanka’s Pakistan Tour
Eshan Malinga Earns Maiden Test Call-Up for Sri Lanka’s Pakistan Tour
Eshan Malinga has taken the biggest step of his young career. The 24-year-old fast bowler received his maiden call-up to Sri Lanka’s Test squad on 13 October 2026 for the two-match tour of Pakistan in November — recognition for years of toil in domestic cricket and steady progress in the white-ball formats.
Eshan Malinga’s Journey to the Test Squad
Malinga is already an established part of Sri Lanka’s shorter-format sides, having represented the country in both ODIs and T20Is. But Test cricket is the ultimate examination for a fast bowler, and this is his first invitation to that arena. His first-class numbers made the case: 44 wickets in 19 matches at an average of 31.15, with the pace and bounce to trouble good batters on helpful surfaces.
His timing could hardly be better. Sri Lanka’s pace stocks have been in transition, and the Pakistan tour — always a stern examination in the World Test Championship — needs fresh legs. Malinga’s selection alongside the returning left-armer Dilshan Madushanka gives the squad genuine variety alongside established names like Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando and Milan Rathnayake.
A New Era: Kusal Mendis Takes Charge
The tour marks a changing of the guard for Sri Lankan cricket. Kusal Mendis has been appointed Test captain for the first time, taking over from Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down from the role. Mendis will lead a 15-man squad into the series, which begins on 9 November at Rawalpindi with the second Test in Lahore from 17 November.
Wicketkeeper Anjala Bandara has also earned his maiden Test call-up after a superb domestic run — 65.85 average across 31 first-class matches with seven centuries — replacing Niroshan Dickwella, who has been left out along with openers Lahiru Udara and Kamil Mishara. Experienced batter Dinesh Chandimal returns after recovering from the concussion he suffered in the first Test against India in Galle.
What Malinga Brings to the Attack
Sri Lanka’s bowling plans for Pakistan will revolve around their world-class spin pair of Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha, but the pacers will be vital with the new ball and for reverse swing later in the day. Malinga’s skiddy pace and ability to hit the deck hard could make him a useful weapon on the flatter Pakistani surfaces, particularly in Rawalpindi.
His recent injury history — he was replaced in Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad in February — makes this call-up feel like a personal triumph too. Coming back from that setback to earn the white kit is the kind of story selectors love. For more on the Test calendar, see our Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series guide and follow all the action in our Sports section.
The Chance of a Lifetime
Breaking into Test cricket is never guaranteed — many fine white-ball bowlers never make the jump. But Malinga has the attributes, the domestic record, and now the opportunity. The series also carries real World Test Championship weight: Sri Lanka sit seventh in the standings on 33.33 percentage points, while Pakistan are bottom of the table on 4.63 — so both sides have everything to play for in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
If Malinga seizes his moment in Pakistan, Sri Lanka could have found their next long-format strike bowler just when they need one most. For a 24-year-old who has already fought back from injury heartbreak, the white kit and the red ball represent the ultimate reward.
The first Test in Rawalpindi begins on 9 November, with the second Test in Lahore running from 17 to 21 November. For Malinga, those dates are now circled: two opportunities, in a new captain’s first series, to turn a maiden call-up into a Test cap.
Squad details via ThePapare’s squad announcement.