"T.M. Dilshan sent his resignation from the captaincy of the national team to Sri Lanka Cricket a short while ago," SLC said in a text message alert to its subscribers.
Dilshan was made the captain after the World Cup, during which Kumar Sangakkara led the team. Dilshan's last series in charge was the tour to South Africa where his team lost the Test series 2-1 and the ODI series 3-2. Dilshan also led SL to England and in a home series against Australia but failed to win those too.
The Sri Lankan board said, "Members of the executive committee take this opportunity to thank Dilshan for his commitment and dedication during his tenure as the national captain. We also wish him well as he continues to represent Sri Lanka as a national player."
Captaincy saw the dashing right-hander's form dip by a large margin and there were numerous calls to remove him from the post. One of the high points was surely leading Sri Lanka to their first Test win since the retirement of spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan and their first ever Test win in South Africa.
Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage confirmed that middle order stalwart, Mahela Jayawardene will be the new skipper while Angelo Mathews will be his deputy.
"Dilshan has sent his resignation letter so therefore the selectors met today and appointed Mahela Jayawardene as the captain and Angelo Mathews as the vice captain," he told Reuters.
Jayawardene had captained the team for more than three years from 2006 before Sangakkara took over.
The stylish batsman, who led Sri Lanka to the 2007 World Cup runners-up spot, will be the captain for all three formats of the game
