Dimuth Karunaratne to retire after milestone 100th Test for Sri Lanka vs Australia in Galle

Sri Lankan batsman Dimuth Karunaratne has announced that he will retire from international cricket following the second Test against Australia in Galle. This match will mark his 100th Test appearance. The 36-year-old opener has decided to hang up his boots due to a dip in form, despite his consistent performances over the years.

Karunaratne has struggled with the bat in recent times. Since September 2024, he has only managed 182 runs in his last seven Test matches, with just one half-century to his name. His journey in international cricket began in 2012, when he made his Test debut against New Zealand. In that match, he scored 0 and 60 in two innings, and Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets.

To date, Karunaratne has played 99 Test matches, accumulating a total of 7,172 runs, including 16 centuries. His highest score of 244 runs came against Bangladesh in 2021. He also recorded his only ODI century against Ireland in 2023. Throughout his career, he has featured in 50 ODIs and 34 T20 internationals for Sri Lanka.

Over the past decade, Karunaratne has been one of the most consistent openers in Test cricket. His breakthrough century came in 2014 against New Zealand in Christchurch, and from 2015 onwards, he has been a mainstay at the top of Sri Lanka's batting order. He played a brilliant knock of 197 runs against Pakistan in 2017.

In 2019, Karunaratne was appointed as Sri Lanka's captain, and under his leadership, the team secured a historic 2-0 Test series victory against South Africa that same year. His remarkable performances with the bat earned him nominations to the ICC Test Team of the Year in 2018, 2021, and 2023.

Karunaratne’s decision to retire marks the end of a stellar career for Sri Lanka’s most consistent opening batsman of the last decade. As he plays his final Test match, fans and teammates will no doubt celebrate his contributions to Sri Lankan cricket and his legacy in international cricket.