The announcement yesterday that dashing batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan will play his final international for Sri Lanka later this week signals the end of an era for the Islanders. The 39-year-old - who invented the ‘Dilscoop’ — a ramp shot that brought him plenty of runs and unbelievable number of fans around the world — has been part of Sri Lankan cricket folklore for a decade and half.
One of the last giants to quit the game following the departure of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in recent times, Dilshan will be remembered for his bold batting and useful off-spin bowling. A reliable fielder with a safe pair of hands, Dilshan was Sri Lanka’s go-to man in the shorter formats of the game for more than a decade.
Ever since Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 under Arjuna Ranatunga’s bold captaincy, the Islanders have enjoyed a massive resurgence in world cricket. With players like Jayawardene, Sangakkara and Dilshan settling down in their defined roles for the team, cricket-mad Sri Lanka quietly started producing results that showed class and reliability at the top of the batting order.
After a slight hiccup at the 1999 World Cup in England where the Islanders got knocked out before the semi-finals despite arriving as the defending champions, Sri Lanka cricket has only moved forward. At the 2003 World Cup, Australia beat Sri Lanka in the semi-finals and four years later, the two teams featured in the 2007 World Cup final won by Ricky Ponting’s men. At the 2011 World Cup, Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final once again, this time losing to hosts India.
Dilshan played all those finals for Sri Lanka, thanks to his fitness and form sustained over a long period of time. A late bloomer by normal standards, Dilshan made up for lost time by smashing more than a 1000 runs in a calendar year four times in his career. He is only the fourth Sri Lanka to cross the 10,000 mark in ODIs after current selector Sanath Jayasuriya, Jayarwardene and Sangakkara.
A right-hander of considerable merit and hugely important to Sri Lankan cause for more than a decade, Dilshan also appeared in three T20 World Cup finals for his team, losing to Pakistan (2009) and the West Indies (2012). Dilshan finished as a champion in the title clash two years ago against India in Dhaka, a fitting end to a highly entertaining T20 career.
When Dilshan — who captained his team in all formats — enters the dressing room on Sunday against Australia, he’d definitely savour the moment as would the Sri Lankan fans at Dambulla. He will be remembered as one of only few players around the world to have hit a 100 in all the three formats of the game.
Well played, Dilshan! Thanks for the memories.
The announcement yesterday that dashing batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan will play his final international for Sri Lanka later this week signals the end of an era for the Islanders. The 39-year-old - who invented the ‘Dilscoop’ — a ramp shot that brought him plenty of runs and unbelievable number of fans around the world — has been part of Sri Lankan cricket folklore for a decade and half.
One of the last giants to quit the game following the departure of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in recent times, Dilshan will be remembered for his bold batting and useful off-spin bowling. A reliable fielder with a safe pair of hands, Dilshan was Sri Lanka’s go-to man in the shorter formats of the game for more than a decade.
Ever since Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 under Arjuna Ranatunga’s bold captaincy, the Islanders have enjoyed a massive resurgence in world cricket. With players like Jayawardene, Sangakkara and Dilshan settling down in their defined roles for the team, cricket-mad Sri Lanka quietly started producing results that showed class and reliability at the top of the batting order.
After a slight hiccup at the 1999 World Cup in England where the Islanders got knocked out before the semi-finals despite arriving as the defending champions, Sri Lanka cricket has only moved forward. At the 2003 World Cup, Australia beat Sri Lanka in the semi-finals and four years later, the two teams featured in the 2007 World Cup final won by Ricky Ponting’s men. At the 2011 World Cup, Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final once again, this time losing to hosts India.
Dilshan played all those finals for Sri Lanka, thanks to his fitness and form sustained over a long period of time. A late bloomer by normal standards, Dilshan made up for lost time by smashing more than a 1000 runs in a calendar year four times in his career. He is only the fourth Sri Lanka to cross the 10,000 mark in ODIs after current selector Sanath Jayasuriya, Jayarwardene and Sangakkara.
A right-hander of considerable merit and hugely important to Sri Lankan cause for more than a decade, Dilshan also appeared in three T20 World Cup finals for his team, losing to Pakistan (2009) and the West Indies (2012). Dilshan finished as a champion in the title clash two years ago against India in Dhaka, a fitting end to a highly entertaining T20 career.
When Dilshan — who captained his team in all formats — enters the dressing room on Sunday against Australia, he’d definitely savour the moment as would the Sri Lankan fans at Dambulla. He will be remembered as one of only few players around the world to have hit a 100 in all the three formats of the game.
Well played, Dilshan! Thanks for the memories.
