Former Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne will withdraw from the international cricket after playing his 100th test, which will be the second and last match against Australia from Thursday. The 36-year-old, one of the most productive batters for Sri Lanka, has scored 7,172 points on an average of slightly less than 40, with 16 centuries and 34 half centures in 99 tests in almost 14 years. He can also be seen in 50 ODIs and scored 1,316 runs with a century and 11 fifty.
“It is difficult for a test player to keep himself motivated to play 4 tests for a year and to keep his form,” was Karunaratne, who made his test debut in 2012, said by 'Daily FT'.
“In the last two-three year after the WTC (World Test Championship) was introduced, we had very few bilateral series. My current form is another reason; completing my 100 tests, the end of the WTC cycle (2023- 25), I thought it was the right time to retire “Karunaratne is planning to move to Australia next month. After making his first-class debut for Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in 2008, he plays his last match for them against NCC in the SLC Major Club Three-Day Tournament on 14-16 February.
“I have some personal plans myself. I have decided to retire after I spoke with other senior players such as Angie (Angelo Mathews) and Chandi (Dineh Chandimal),” he said.
“Instead of retiring the three of us at the same time, it will be better for us to go one by one. I thought I will retire first because I know that I am not for my next target – 10,000 runs – Can be played with the lesser number of tests.
“I am happy with what I have achieved so far. I want to announce my pension with a happy moment such as playing in my 100th test.” Karunaratne has difficulty taking the form of lately and managing scores of 7 and 0 in the first test against Australia, in which Sri Lanka drops to an innings and 242 Run defeat to go 0-1 in the two-test series .
“Every cricket player is to play 100 tests and score 10,000 points. It's a big achievement. If you start playing cricket, you don't think about those goals, but if you keep playing, you will come across different goals,” he said.
“But because Sri Lanka plays less test matches for a year, getting 10,000 runs far away seems to be a performance in 100 tests,” he added.
He would look back on his career as a satisfied man because of the pure lifespan “different players playing cricket, but only being a handful of being able to play 100 tests. I am very happy to become a member of that exclusive club. The seventh cricket player From Sri Lanka to play in 100 tests, is also a happy moment, “he deducted.
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