Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne has decided to call time on his career after the second Test against Australia at Galle, which will also be his 100th Test. This is also Sri Lanka’s final Test of this World Test Championship cycle.
With Sri Lanka set to play only two further Tests until May 2026, the 36-year-old Karunaratne’s decision to play his final Test at the same venue, where he began his Test career against New Zealand in November 2012, will leave the door open for youngsters in the new World Test Championship cycle.
“It was the right time to go, considering there are three or four younger players who could come in for the next WTC cycle. Plus, this match was in Galle, where I made my debut, so it will be nice to finish things there,” Karunaratne was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“After the first Test against Australia ended, I told SLC that the next Test would be my last,” he added.
Karunaratne has scored by far the most Test runs for a Sri Lanka opener, hitting 7079 at an average of 39.99 in that position. He will also become Sri Lanka’s seventh cricketer to feature in 100 Tests, following Sanath Jayasuriya, Muthiah Muralidaran, Chaminda Vaas, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews.
“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,” he said.
Karunaratne, who captained Sri Lanka in 30 Tests, has so far scored 15 centuries. Opening up on his regrets, the opener lamented at being unable to breach the 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
“If I have regrets, one of them would be not being able to get to 10,000 Test runs. I thought the way that I was going in 2017, 2018 and 2019, that I’d have the chance to get there. But then Covid hit, and Sri Lanka doesn’t play as many Tests anymore,” he said.