Tag: Dimuth Karunaratne

Sri Lanka star batter announces retirement amid Australia Test series

Former Sri Lanka captain and opening batter Dimuth Karunaratne announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday amid the ongoing Test series against Australia.

The left-handed batter announced that he would be hanging his boots following the second match against Australia, which would also be his 100th Test.

“After the first Test against Australia ended, I told SLC [Sri Lanka Cricket] that the next Test would be my last,” he said in an interview with a cricket website.

“It was the right time to go, considering there are three or four younger players who could come in for the next WTC cycle.”

Dimuth Karunaratne maintained that the final game in Galle is special for him given that he made his debut at the venue.

With his final Test, he will join Sri Lanka greats such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Muthiah Muralidaran, Chaminda Vaas, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews to have played 100 Tests.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Playing 100 Tests is a tough thing to accomplish, especially when you’re an opening batter and you’re doing the dirty work for the team,” the former Sri Lanka captain said.

The left-handed batter expressed regrets over the missed chances to appear in a World Test Championship (WTC) Final.

“I’d also have loved to make it to a World Test Championship final and experience that feeling of being in a final. We were close twice, but it never happened,” he stated.

Following his debut in Galle in 2012, the left-handed batter went on to become a prolific opening batter for his side, amassing 7,172 runs across 99 Test matches, including 16 centuries.

Karunaratne has captained Sri Lanka in 30 Tests from 2019 until 2024 and was nominated for the ICC Test Player of the Year Award in 2021.

READ: Former cricketer gives a shocking statement about Babar Azam playing as an opener

Mendis, Karunaratne keep Sri Lanka in the hunt after Jayasuriya’s six-for

GALLE: SriLanka top-order batter Kusal Mendis and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne scripted an astounding reply from the home side with brilliant half-centuries before Prabath Jayasuriya restricted Australia to 364 by finishing with the second-best figures by a Sri Lankan on Test debut.

Resuming at an overnight score of 298/5, Australia could only manage to add 66 runs on the second day despite their overnight centurion Steve Smith’s unbeaten knock of 145.

Smith, who ended his century drought with a magnificent 104* on the opening day, added 41 of them as the tailenders had no answer to the strong bowling display by the hosts. He remained unbeaten with a magnificent 145 off 272 deliveries, laced with 16 boundaries.

For Sri Lanka, Jayasuriya led the way on his debut with six wickets, while Kasun Rajitha bagged two. Ramesh Mendis and Maheesh Theekshana, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

The hosts were off to a poor start in response to Australia’s 364 as they lost their opener Pathum Nissanka cheaply at a combined score of 12. The right-handed batter scored a mere six off 25 deliveries.

Following the early disaster, Sri Lanka’s dynamic duo of Mendis and Karunaratne bolstered their side to a commanding position with an astonishing 152 runs partnership for the second time.

The pair appeared solid and were looking to carry their way till the stumps but Mitchell Swepson had other plans as he trapped the skipper Karunaratne in his legs in the 55th over. He remained the top-scorer for his side with 86 off 165 balls, laced with 10 boundaries.

Mendis then joined hands with the veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews and put on an unbeaten 20-run partnership to keep the second Test evenly poised as Sri Lanka finished at 184/2.

Wicketkeeper batter Mendis scored an unbeaten 84 off 152 balls with the help of nine boundaries, while Mathews scored six.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc and Swepson made one scalp each.

READ: If Kohli isn’t performing, you can’t keep youngsters out: Kapil Dev

Root, Ashwin make it to ICC nominations for ‘Test Player of 2021’

DUBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) has released nominations for the ‘Test Player of 2021’, A Sports reported. 

In a press release, ICC nominated England’s skipper Joe Root, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Sri Lankan Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne, and New Zealand’s pacer Kyle Jamieson.

The four cricketers have been nominated following their eye-catching performance in the running year.

Joe Root: 1708 runs in 15 matches with six centuries

R Ashwin: 52 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 16.23. 337 runs at 28.08 with one century

Kyle Jamieson: 27 wickets in 5 matches at 17.51. 105 runs at 17.50.

Dimuth Karunaratne: 902 runs in 7 matches at 69.38 with 4 centuries

It must be noted here that ICC will announce further nominations in different categories of all three formats of the game.

READ: ‘Australia committed to tour Pakistan’ CEO Cricket Australia 

A responsible overview of casino magic online argentina should keep expectations realistic and highlight policy clarity. Focus on withdrawals, limits, and KYC requirements first, then assess mobile performance and provider lineup. Promotions can be optional; wagering and expiry terms matter more than headlines. 18+ only; set strict limits.

Voor spelers die waarde hechten aan eerlijke feedback en praktijkervaringen is https://theslotzcasino.nl/spelersrecensies een nuttige ingang. De pagina legt de nadruk op gebruikerservaring, uitbetalingen, bonusvoorwaarden en klantenservice. Daardoor ontstaat een duidelijker beeld van hoe het casino in het dagelijks gebruik aanvoelt, vooral voor bezoekers die niet alleen naar promoties kijken maar ook naar betrouwbaarheid en speelcomfort.