Dimuth Karunaratne, the former Sri Lankan captain, has retired from international cricket after his 100th Test match against Australia in Galle. Karunaratne made his Test debut in November 2012 at the same venue against New Zealand. The match against Australia was his last as part of the World Test Championship cycle.
Karunaratne said that he made his decision after the first Test against Australia, noting the timing was right because there are younger players who could benefit from the opportunity in the next WTC cycle. He told ESPNcricinfo that playing his final match in Galle, where he made his debut, felt appropriate.
Key Facts and Stats:
- Karunaratne, 36, scored 7,222 runs in Tests at an average of nearly 40, including a top score of 244.
- He also played 50 ODIs, scoring 1,316 runs.
- He captained Sri Lanka in 30 Tests between 2019 and 2023, winning 12 and losing 12.
- He is the fourth-highest Test run-scorer for Sri Lanka, behind Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Angelo Mathews.
- Karunaratne is the seventh Sri Lankan cricketer to play 100 Tests.
In a post-match presentation, Karunaratne expressed his emotions about leaving his teammates and support for them going forward. He also mentioned plans to go to Australia to learn coaching and spend time with his family. Karunaratne aims to complete his Level Two and Three coaching qualifications while in Melbourne, where he intends to play club cricket. He envisions returning to Sri Lanka cricket in the future as a coach or mentor.
