Dimuth Karunaratne, one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced Test players, has announced that he will retire from Test cricket after playing his 100th match against Australia in Galle. The 36-year-old opener believes this is the right time to step away, considering Sri Lanka has only two more Test matches scheduled until May 2026.
Karunaratne has struggled for form recently, averaging just 27.05 since 2024. This will also be Sri Lanka’s final Test of the current World Test Championship cycle.
"It felt like the right moment to retire, especially with younger players ready to take over in the next cycle," Karunaratne said. "Finishing my career in Galle, where I made my Test debut, makes it even more special."
Karunaratne made his Test debut in November 2012 against New Zealand at the same venue. Though he was briefly dropped in 2014, he made a strong comeback, scoring his first Test century that year. Since then, he has been a key part of the team, scoring 15 Test centuries. He will retire as Sri Lanka’s most successful Test opener, with 7079 runs at an average of 39.99.
He will also become the seventh Sri Lankan cricketer to play 100 Tests, joining legends like Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, and Muttiah Muralidaran.
"Reaching 100 Tests is a big achievement, especially as an opening batsman. If I have any regrets, it's that I couldn’t reach 10,000 Test runs. I was on track in 2017-2019, but Covid and Sri Lanka’s limited Test schedule made it difficult."
Karunaratne captained Sri Lanka in 30 Tests, with his most memorable moment coming in 2019 when he led the team to a historic 2-0 series win against South Africa. He also captained Sri Lanka in the 2019 ODI World Cup but never played a T20 international.
Currently based in Melbourne, Karunaratne plans to take a break after retirement before possibly moving into coaching.
"After playing cricket for so many years, I need some time for myself. But I’d love to get involved in coaching later on," he said.
His final Test match begins on Thursday in Galle, marking the end of an impressive career.
Updated on 04 February, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.