Dimuth to retire from cricket after completing 100 Tests

Dimuth Karunaratne celebrates a hundred in his 50th Test match against South Africa at Galle in 2018

• Will migrate to Australia with family
• 100th Test will be against Australia at Galle on 6 February

Sa’adi Thawfeeq reporting from Galle

One of Sri Lanka’s most prolific opening batsmen and former Captain Dimuth Karunaratne will retire from cricket after playing his 100th Test match for his country in the second Warne-Murali Test, scheduled to commence at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Karunaratne, speaking exclusively to Daily FT, said that he plans to retire from all levels of cricket and migrate to Australia with his family next month. Karunaratne’s final match of his illustrious career will be for SSC against NCC in the SLC Major Club 3-Day Tournament from 14-16 February at the NCC Ground.

Karunaratne’s decision to retire comes from several reasons.

“It is difficult for a Test player to keep himself motivated to play 4 Tests for a year and maintain his form. In the last 2-3 years after the WTC (World Test Championship) was introduced, we have been having very little bilateral series. My current form is another reason; completing my 100 Tests, the end of the WTC cycle (2023-25), I thought is the right time to retire.”

“I have some personal plans of my own. I’ve decided to retire after speaking to other senior players like Angie [Angelo Mathews] and Chandi [Dinesh Chandimal]. Rather than the three of us retiring at the same time, it will be better for us to go one by one. I thought I will retire first because I know I cannot go for my next target – 10,000 runs – with the lesser number of Tests being played. I am happy with what I have achieved so far. I want to announce my retirement with a happy moment like playing in my 100th Test.”

In 99 Tests, the 36-year-old left-hander has accumulated 7,172 runs at an average of just under 40 with 16 hundreds over a span of 13 years. 

“Any cricketer’s dream is to play 100 Tests and score 10,000 runs. It’s a big achievement. When you start playing cricket, you don’t think of those targets, but when you continue playing, you come across different targets. One of them is to play 100 Tests and the other is to achieve 10,000 runs. But as Sri Lanka are playing less Test matches for a year, getting to 10,000 runs seems far away. Appearing in 100 Tests I feel is an achievement.”

“At the end of the day, after I have retired, I can look back and be satisfied that I had played 100 Tests for my country. Several players play Test cricket but only a handful are able to go and play 100 Tests. To become a member of that exclusive club I am very happy. To become Sri Lanka’s seventh cricketer to play in 100 Tests is also a happy moment.”

Karunaratne is not in the best of his form at the moment, but hopes that he can put it right in his 100th Test and make it a memorable farewell.

“I have not hit a bad patch for a long time. From 2016 till last year, I have been scoring consistently. I have been the leading run scorer or second leading run scorer. When you hit a rough patch, it’s something that you have not experienced before. I am struggling to come out of it at the moment. Along with that, you get negative thoughts; there is stress, panic sets in. All of them come with loss of form. If I get to the first 15-30 runs, I can go on from there. Why I am struggling is that I have been unable to get a start. If I can get a start in the next Test, I think I can convert it into a big one.”

Amongst the several milestones Karunaratne has achieved in his remarkable career, scoring a hundred in his 50th Test match is one. He made an undefeated 158 carrying his bat out against South Africa at Galle in 2018. 

“Not only in my 100th Test, but I look forward to scoring a hundred in every game I play and contributing towards my team. It will be a great milestone if I can score a 100 in my 100th Test.”