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Ex-SL captain Karunaratne to retire after 2nd Australia Test

February 05, 2025 00:00:00


Former Sri Lanka test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne will retire from the format after his 100th match, the final Test of Sri Lanka's two-Test series against Australia in Galle tomorrow (Thursday), reports Reuters.

Karunaratne made his Test debut at the Galle international Stadium in 2012 against New Zealand. The 36-year-old opener has scored 7,172 runs with 16 centuries and 39 half centuries in 99 appearances. He has played 50 ODIs but has never featured in a Twenty20 International match.

"It was the right time to go, considering there are three or four younger players who could come in for the next World Test Championship cycle," Karunaratne told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday.

"After the first Test against Australia ended, I told Sri Lanka Cricket (Board) that the next Test would be my last.

"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."

Karunaratne will become Sri Lanka's seventh cricketer to reach 100 Tests, following Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan,

Chaminda Vaas, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Angelo Mathews.


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