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Former Sri Lanka captain and veteran batter Dimuth Karunaratne recently confirmed that he will retire from international cricket following his 100th Test, which is set to get underway at the Galle International Stadium in Galle from Thursday, February 6 against Australia. The 36-year-old’s decision to step away from the game came after his recent run of form with the bat at the top of the order.
As reported by News Wire, the 36-year-old informed of his decision to the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), along with informing the Test skipper Dhananjaya de Silva. It is to be noted that Karunaratne has been Sri Lanka’s best batter in the World Test Championship era. He has amassed 7,172 runs across 99 Test matches, including 16 centuries. In his recent outing in Galle against Australia, Karunaratne scored seven runs across the two innings.
Dimuth Karunaratne to retire after second Test against Australia in Galle
However, the 36-year-old will feature in the second Test against Australia, which will also be his 100th match in the longest format of the game, he earlier informed, as quoted by Daily FT, "It is difficult for a Test player to keep himself motivated to play four Tests for a year and maintain his form. In the last two-three years after the WTC (World Test Championship) was introduced, we have been having very little bilateral series. My current form is another reason; completing my 100 Tests, the end of the WTC cycle (2023-25), I thought is the right time to retire."
Although, he cited his recent form at the crease, where he has managed to score only 182 runs in his last seven Tests, including a half-century against New Zealand in September 2024, he has also set plans for the future. "I have some personal plans of my own. I've decided to retire after speaking to other senior players like Angie (Angelo Mathews) and Chandi (Dinesh Chandimal)," he said.
"Rather than the three of us retiring at the same time, it will be better for us to go one by one. I thought I will retire first because I know I cannot go for my next target – 10,000 runs – with the lesser number of Tests being played. I am happy with what I have achieved so far. I want to announce my retirement with a happy moment like playing in my 100th Test," he further added, as quoted by Daily FT.
Notably, Karunaratne made his Test debut in 2012 against New Zealand in Galle. However, he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings, he played an unbeaten 60-run knock in the second innings, helping his side finish on the other side. His most prominent performance in the longest format came in 2021, where he registered his highest score of 244 against Bangladesh. Apart from Test, the 36-year-old has also played 50 ODIs and 34 T20Is.
