Former Sri Lanka captain and opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne is set to play his final international match in the upcoming second Test against Australia, marking his 100th appearance in the format. The left-handed opener, who has been a mainstay at the top of the order for Sri Lanka, has been out of form recently.
As reported by NewsWire, Karunaratne has informed the Sri Lanka Cricket Board of his decision. In the first Test against Australia in Galle, he managed just seven runs, including a duck in the second innings, where he was bowled by a Nathan Lyon delivery that grazed the top of the off stump after he left it.
The batter has been struggling with form for some time, with his last century coming in April 2023 against Ireland. Before the Australia series, he had a tough time during Sri Lanka’s whitewash by South Africa, managing just 27 runs across four innings.
He also stepped down as captain following the series defeat to Pakistan in the early stages of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Karunaratne Accumulates 7,172 Runs in 189 Innings at 39.40 Average in Tests
Dimuth Karunaratne made his Test debut in 2012 and gradually became a fixture at the top of the order for Sri Lanka. Although he was dismissed for a duck in his first match, he soon started to make a mark with his solid performances.
While he has played in white-ball formats, Karunaratne is predominantly known as a red-ball specialist. He has been named in the ICC’s Test Team of the Year three times and became Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer as an opener, surpassing Sanath Jayasuriya’s record in 2023.
With 16 Test centuries to his name, including a career-best 244 against Bangladesh in 2021, Karunaratne has cemented his legacy. The second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia begins on February 6, with Australia leading the series 1-0 after a dominant win in the first match.
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