SL vs AUS | Dimuth Karunaratne set to retire after 100th Test in Galle
Dimuth Karunaratne is set to retire from International cricket after the second Test against Australia at the Galle International Stadium. This will also be his 100th Test match as Sri Lanka looks to level the two-match series that holds little value in the current World Test Championship cycle.
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International career
Dimuth Karunaratne was born on April 21, 1988. He is a former Sri Lankan professional cricketer who played as an opening batter in Test and ODI matches. Karunaratne also served as the captain of the Sri Lankan Test and ODI teams. Many people consider him one of the best Test openers from Sri Lanka.
Since 2015, Karunaratne became a key player for Sri Lanka in Test matches, especially known for his performance in the second innings. By October 2017, he had scored four out of his six Test centuries in the second innings. On October 7, 2017, he became the second Sri Lankan opener after Tillakaratne Dilshan to score three Test centuries in one year.
In February 2019, Karunaratne was named captain of the Sri Lankan Test team for the South Africa series. In April 2019, Sri Lanka Cricket chose him to lead the ODI team ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, replacing Lasith Malinga. Karunaratne is the only batsman after Ridley Jacobs to carry his bat in a World Cup match.
He ended his Test career after playing his 100th Test match in a home series against Australia.
2011
- ODI Debut: July 9, 2011 – England vs Sri Lanka at Manchester.
2012
- Test Debut: November 17-19, 2012 – Sri Lanka vs New Zealand at Galle.
- Scored a duck in the first innings but hit a half-century in the second innings to win the match.
2013
- Struggled in the Test series in Australia.
- Scored his then-highest Test score of 85 in Sydney during the final Test.
2014
- Scored his maiden Test century on December 28, 2014, against New Zealand in Christchurch (152 runs from 363 balls).
2015
- Missed the World Cup after breaking his hand in a practice match.
- Scored his second Test century (133) against Pakistan in Pallekele.
- Hit his highest Test score at the time: 186 against West Indies at Galle.
- Struggled in the home Test series against Australia.
2016
- Scored a century and a fifty in the Test series against Zimbabwe.
- Named Player of the Series after scoring 280 runs at an average of 70.00.
2017
- Took his maiden Test wicket (Cheteshwar Pujara) against India.
- Scored his fifth Test century against India.
- Recorded a career-best 196 runs in Sri Lanka’s first day-night Test against Pakistan in Dubai.
- Scored 1000 Test runs in a calendar year.
2018
- Played his 50th Test in July.
- Scored an unbeaten 158 against South Africa.
- Scored 218 runs in that match, more than South Africa’s combined total.
- Won Player of the Series against South Africa.
- Named in the ICC and ESPNCricinfo World Test XI for 2018.
2019
- Struck on the neck by a bouncer in Canberra but returned to bat and scored 59.
- Appointed Sri Lanka’s Test captain in February.
- Led Sri Lanka to a historic 2-0 Test series win in South Africa – the first Asian team to achieve this.
- In March, involved in a drink-driving incident but continued as captain.
- Appointed ODI captain for the 2019 World Cup.
- Carried his bat in Sri Lanka’s World Cup opener against New Zealand.
- Scored a match-winning fourth-innings century against New Zealand in Galle in August.
2020
- Led Sri Lanka to a 3-0 ODI whitewash over West Indies.
2021
- Scored his 10th Test century in South Africa in January.
- Scored his maiden double century (244) in April against Bangladesh in Kandy.
- Passed 5000 Test runs and scored his 12th Test century.
- Led Sri Lanka to a 1-0 Test series win over Bangladesh.
- Scored his 13th Test century against West Indies in November.
- Finished 2021 with 902 Test runs at an average of 69.38.
- Nominated for ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and selected in the ICC World Test XI for 2021.
2022
- Scored his 14th Test century in India’s day-night Test in March.
- Helped win a home Test series against Bangladesh in March-May.
- Scored a crucial 86 runs against Australia in July; Sri Lanka achieved their first-ever innings win over Australia in Tests.
- Reached 6000 Test runs during the Pakistan series in July.
2023
- Last ODI appearance: November 2, 2023, against India at Wankhede Stadium.
- First Test Match against New Zealand (2023)
- Karunaratne scored his 32nd Test half-century.
- Became the highest run scorer for Sri Lanka as a Test opener, surpassing Sanath Jayasuriya’s tally of 5932 runs.
- Second Test Match against New Zealand (2023)
- Scored half-centuries in both innings: 89 runs in the first innings and 51 runs in the second innings.
- Despite his contributions, Sri Lanka lost the match.
- Finished the series with 207 runs in 4 innings, averaging 51.75, and including three half-centuries.
- Wisden’s World Test Championship XI (2021-2023)
- Due to his consistent performances, Karunaratne was selected to the Wisden’s World Test Championship XI (2021-2023).
- He is the second-highest run scorer among openers in the series.
- First Test against Ireland (April 2023)
- Scored his 15th Test century, becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a Test hundred against Ireland.
- His knock of 179 runs came off 235 balls, including 15 boundaries.
- Shared a 281-run partnership for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis.
- Sri Lanka won the match by an innings and 280 runs.
- Second Test against Ireland (April 2023)
- Scored his 16th Test century, marking his fastest century in the format.
- Scored 115 runs off 133 balls, including 15 boundaries.
- Equaled Marvan Atapattu’s record of 16 Test centuries as an opener for Sri Lanka.
- Shared a strong 228-run opening partnership with Nishan Madushka.
- Karunaratne scored 294 runs in the series, averaging 147.
- ODI Comeback (2023)
- Recalled to Sri Lanka's ODI squad after more than two years for the series against Afghanistan.
- Scored 112 runs in the series, with two half-centuries in three matches, averaging 56.
- ODI against UAE (June 2023)
- Scored his 9th ODI half-century, with 52 runs off 54 balls.
- Shared a 95-run opening partnership with Pathum Nissanka.
- Sri Lanka won the match by 175 runs.
- ODI against Oman (June 2023)
- Scored his 10th ODI half-century, leading Sri Lanka to a 10-wicket victory.
- Maiden ODI Century (June 2023)
- Against Ireland, Karunaratne scored his maiden ODI century, contributing 103 runs off 103 balls.
- Hit eight boundaries and won the Player of the Match award.
- Sri Lanka won the match by 133 runs.
- Qualifier Match against West Indies (July 2023)
- Scored his 11th ODI half-century, contributing 83 runs off 92 balls.
- Shared a 190-run opening partnership with Pathum Nissanka.
- Sri Lanka won the match by 8 wickets.
- Asia Cup 2023
- Named in Sri Lanka's squad for the 2023 Asia Cup, marking his first appearance in the tournament.
- Post-Captaincy (2023)
- Dhananjaya de Silva was appointed as Sri Lanka's new Test captain, ending Karunaratne's five-year term.
- Karunaratne captained Sri Lanka in 30 Tests, with 12 wins, 12 losses, and 6 draws.
- Sri Lanka’s notable win under his leadership was the 2019 Test series victory in South Africa.
- ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year (2023)
- Karunaratne was selected to the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year for the third time in his career, despite playing only six Tests in 2023.
- He scored 608 runs at an average of 60.8 during the year.
- Retirement Announcement (2025)
- Karunaratne announced that he would retire from international cricket after the second Test match of the Australian team’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2025.
- This would mark his 100th Test match.
- Farewell Test Match against Australia (2025)
- Played his last international Test match against Australia.
- Scored 35 runs in the first innings and 14 runs in the second innings of his final match.
- Retired as one of Sri Lanka's greatest opening batsmen and the seventh Sri Lankan to play 100 Test matches.
- Test Career Stats
- Karunaratne has played 100 Tests, scoring 7,222 runs at an average of 39.
- He has hit 764 fours and 12 sixes in his Test career.
- ODI Career Stats
- Karunaratne has played 50 ODIs, scoring 1,316 runs at an average of 31.
- He has hit 131 fours and 1 six in his ODI career.
- His most recent ODI was in November 2023 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, where he scored 0 runs off 1 ball.
- ICC Test Batting Rankings
- Karunaratne is currently ranked 29th in the ICC Test Batting Rankings with 594 points.
Leagues Participation
Dimuth Karunaratne has not participated in any major league competitions like the Indian Premier League (IPL) or other domestic T20 leagues.
Domestic career
Dimuth Karunaratne’s domestic career spans a long period, starting with his first-class debut for Sinhalese Sports Club in November 2008. Over the years, he has played numerous first-class, List A, and T20 matches, mostly within Sri Lanka’s domestic circuit. Karunaratne attended St Joseph’s College, Colombo, where he set records as a school-level batsman and shared an alma mater with other prominent Sri Lankan cricketers like Angelo Mathews and Chaminda Vaas.
He progressed through Sri Lanka’s Under-19 and A teams before making his initial appearances in senior ODIs in 2011. Although selected for the Test squad on a South Africa tour the same year, he did not play in those matches. Over time, he took on leadership roles in domestic tournaments, including captaining Dambulla in the Super Four Provincial Tournament and serving as vice-captain for Galle in the SLC T20 League.
Karunaratne also gained international domestic experience by signing as an overseas player for Hampshire County Cricket Club in early 2019 and later for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2022, participating in England’s County Championship. Notably, in March 2021, he scored his 44th first-class century during the National Super Provincial 4-Day Tournament, guiding Colombo to a strong win with an unbeaten 125. This blend of domestic and international experience has contributed significantly to his development as a consistent and reliable batsman.
Records and achievements
Dimuth Karunaratne’s career is marked by several important records and achievements that highlight his skill and consistency as a top-level batsman. Over years of international cricket, he has reached significant milestones both individually and as a team leader.
- Played 100 Test matches, scoring 7,222 runs at an average of 39, including 764 fours and 12 sixes (as of February 2025).
- Played 50 ODIs, scoring 1,316 runs at an average of 31, with 131 fours and 1 six.
- Ranked 29th in the ICC Test batting rankings with 594 points (current).
- Included in the ICC and ESPNcricinfo World Test XI in 2018.
- Led Sri Lanka to a historic 2-0 Test series win in South Africa in 2019, making Sri Lanka the first Asian team to achieve this.
- Captained Sri Lanka in the 2019 ODI World Cup.
- On October 7, 2017, became the second Sri Lankan after Tillakaratne Dilshan to score three Test centuries in a single calendar year.
- One of the few players to use the same bat model as Ridley Jacobs during a Cricket World Cup.
- Earned multiple Man of the Match and Player of the Series awards for standout performances.
- Nominated for the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award in 2021.
Personal life
Dimuth Karunaratne’s personal life reflects a balanced mix of family, finance, and some public incidents, alongside a strong fan following.
Family
Dimuth Karunaratne is married to Anuradha Kurkulasoorye. The couple has children.
Finance
As of 2025, Karunaratne’s net worth is estimated at around 2 million US dollars.
Scandals
Karunaratne was once arrested for driving under the influence after his car collided with a three-wheeler, injuring the driver. Sri Lanka Cricket fined him $7,000 for breaching his player contract but decided not to take further action, recognizing his professional level. Karunaratne later appeared in court and apologized for the incident.
Fans
He has a strong social media presence, with around 265,000 followers on Instagram.
