Veteran Sri Lankan batter Dimuth Karunaratne to retire after playing 100th Test

Galle: Former Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne is set to retire from international cricket after playing his 100th Test, which will be the second and final match against Australia starting here on Thursday.

The 36-year-old, one of the most prolific batters for Sri Lanka, has scored 7,172 runs at an average of just under 40, with 16 centuries and 34 half-centuries in 99 Tests over nearly 14 years. He has also featured in 50 ODIs, scoring 1,316 runs with one century and 11 fifties.

"It is difficult for a Test player to keep himself motivated to play 4 Tests for a year and maintain his form," Karunaratne, who made his Test debut in 2012, was quoted as saying by 'Daily FT'.

"In the last two-three 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." Karunaratne plans to relocate to Australia with his family next month. Having made his first-class debut for Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in 2008, he will play his final match for them against NCC in the SLC Major Club three-Day Tournament from February 14-16.

"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)," he said.

"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." Karunaratne has been struggling for form of late, managing scores of 7 and 0 in the first Test against Australia in which Sri Lanka slumped to an innings and 242 run defeat to go 0-1 down in the two-Test series.

"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," he said.

"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," he added.

He would look back at his career as a satisfied man due to its sheer longevity. "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," he signed off.