Lahiru Thirimanne, a top-order batsman for Sri Lanka, made a touching declaration on his official Facebook page about his decision to retire from international cricket. With this choice, Thirimanne ends a magnificent 13-year career in which he cemented his place in Sri Lankan cricket history. The 33-year-old cricketer had a significant effect on the game after participating in 44 Test matches, 127 ODIs, and 26 T20 Internationals.
Thirimanne reflected on his path and thanked everyone for their encouragement and support over the course of his professional life. In his goodbye message, he stated, “As a player, I have given my best, I have tried my best, I have appreciated the game, and I have done my duty honestly and ethically to my homeland.”
It was a hard choice to make, but I won’t go into detail here about all the unanticipated factors that led me to make this choice, willingly or unwillingly. I’d like to use this chance to express my gratitude to the SLC members, as well as to my coaches, teammates, physios, trainers, and analysts, for their support and encouragement,” he continued.
Thirimanne made his international debut in an ODI match against India in Mirpur as part of the triangular series. He gained notoriety quickly and demonstrated his potential in 2013 in Adelaide when he scored a century against Australia. The excellent batsman’s 2014 season was even more stunning than the previous one, when he led Sri Lanka’s successful Asia Cup campaign with two hundreds. He was also an essential member of the T20I team that won the T20 World Cup.
Thirimanne’s prowess in the 50-over format peaked during his international career in 2015, when he amassed a total of 861 runs, including a century in the World Cup. He scored three century in Test cricket, with his most recent being in a triumph over Bangladesh in Pallekele in 2021. In Bengaluru against India last year, he made his final appearance in the Test format.
Thirimanne made a remarkable contribution to Sri Lankan cricket, and he leaves the game with an amazing total of 2088 Test runs, 3194 ODI runs, and 291 T20I runs. Fans and teammates alike will definitely miss his presence on the pitch.
