Dimuth Karunaratne is a cricketer who plays internationally for Sri Lanka and domestically for Sinhalese Sports Club in Sri Lanka. He is a left-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He is the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team in Test cricket and formerly captained in ODIs. He is considered as one of the best Test openers in the world. He is known for his compact batting, bowling variations, and leadership skills.
Dimuth Karunaratne was born on April 21, 1988, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He grew up in a cricket-loving family and started playing the game at the age of nine. His father, Kithsiri Perera, is a businessman and his mother, PV Swarnalatha, is a housewife. He has an older brother, Dilshan Perera, who is also a cricketer and plays for Negombo Cricket Club.
Dimuth Karunaratne is married to Dilani Surangika, who is a former Sri Lankan women's cricketer. They tied the knot on March 19, 2016, in a grand ceremony attended by many cricketers and celebrities. They live in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He is fluent in Sinhala, English, and Tamil. He holds a bachelor's degree in sports management from Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. He is also a qualified cricket coach and has worked as a player-coach at Sinhalese Sports Club. He enjoys travelling, reading, and listening to music in his spare time.
Dimuth Karunaratne started playing cricket at Prince of Wales College, where he received guidance from former Sri Lankan cricketer Roy Dias. He represented Sri Lanka at various age-group levels and was part of the squad that played in the 2010 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. He made his first-class debut for Sinhalese Sports Club against Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club in the 2011–12 Premier League Tournament and scored 54 runs on debut. He also made his List A debut for Sinhalese Sports Club against Colts Cricket Club in the same season and took one wicket.
Dimuth Karunaratne made his One Day International (ODI) debut for Sri Lanka against England at Manchester on July 9, 2011. He scored four runs and took one catch as Sri Lanka won by six wickets. He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for Sri Lanka against New Zealand at Pallekele on November 27, 2012. He scored 3 runs and took one catch as Sri Lanka won by eight wickets.
He made his Test debut for Sri Lanka against New Zealand at Galle on November 17, 2012. He scored 12 runs in the first innings and 31 runs in the second innings as Sri Lanka won by ten wickets.
Dimuth Karunaratne has played 34 ODIs for Sri Lanka until October 2023, scoring 749 runs at an average of 23.40 and a strike rate of 74.97. He has hit no centuries and six half-centuries with a highest score of 97. He has also bowled - balls and taken - wickets. His best bowling figures are -/-. He has also taken nine catches.
Dimuth Karunaratne has played seven T20Is for Sri Lanka until November 2022, scoring 77 runs at an average of 11.00 and a strike rate of 96.25. He has hit no centuries and no half-centuries with a highest score of 16. He has also bowled - balls and taken - wickets. His best bowling figures are -/-. He has also taken two catches.
Dimuth Karunaratne has played 74 Test matches for Sri Lanka until April 2023, scoring 6,054 runs at an average of 38.20. He has hit 12 centuries and 26 half-centuries with a highest score of 244. He has also bowled 308 balls and taken two wickets at an average of 99.50. His best bowling figures are 1/12. He has also taken 56 catches.
Dimuth Karunaratne has captained Sri Lanka in 24 Tests and 17 ODIs from 2019 to 2023. He has won nine Tests and lost nine Tests as captain. He has won six ODIs and lost nine ODIs as captain.
Dimuth Karunaratne was involved in a controversy in March 2019, when he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and causing an accident that injured a three-wheeler driver. He was later released on bail and faced a disciplinary inquiry by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Dimuth Karunaratne is a cricketer who plays internationally for Sri Lanka and domestically for Sinhalese Sports Club in Sri Lanka. He is a left-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He is the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team in Test cricket and formerly captained in ODIs. He is considered as one of the best Test openers in the world. He is known for his compact batting, bowling variations, and leadership skills. He has achieved several records and accolades for his performances and is one of the most valuable players for Sri Lanka.