Former Sri Lanka captain announces retirement from international cricket

Former Sri Lanka captain and opening batter Dimuth Karunaratne has announced his retirement from international cricket amid the ongoing Test series against Australia. The left-handed batter confirmed that his final match will be the second Test against Australia, which will also mark his 100th Test appearance.

Karunaratne shared the news in an interview, revealing that after the first Test against Australia, he informed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that he would retire following the second Test. "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 (WTC) cycle," he said.

The upcoming final Test in Galle holds special significance for Karunaratne, as it is the same venue where he made his debut in 2012. He will join Sri Lankan cricket legends such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Angelo Mathews, all of whom have played 100 Test matches.

"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 commented, reflecting on his long and successful career.

Despite his remarkable achievements, the 36-year-old expressed disappointment over missing out on a World Test Championship 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 said.

Karunaratne's career has been a significant one for Sri Lanka, as he accumulated 7,172 runs in 99 Tests, including 16 centuries. He also served as the captain of the Sri Lankan Test team from 2019 to 2023 and was nominated for the ICC Test Player of the Year Award in 2021.