MIRPUR: Pace bowler Lasith Malinga will lead Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 semifinal against the West Indies on Thursday after captain Dinesh Chandimal opted out of the game.

Sri Lanka Cricket announced Chandimal's decision on Twitter on Thursday.

Chandimal has been in indifferent form and had missed Sri Lanka's last league game against New Zealand due to a suspension after the team was found guilty of maintaining a slow over rate for the second time in 12 months in Chandimal's captaincy.

Sri Lanka had lost to the West Indies in the final of the 2012 edition.