Tillakaratne Dilshan: Top 5 T20I knocks of the Sri Lanka legend

As Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan bids adieu to international cricket, here is a list of few of his top 5 knocks in the shortest format of the game.

Over time, Sri Lanka has been one of the most prominent cricket playing nations. The soil has given the game many a legends, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara to name a few. As the team’s home series with Australia come to an end, they bid a final goodbye to one who belongs to this league — Tillakaratne Dilshan. Along with Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and others, Dilshan also served his side across formats and without making his presence felt as much as the rest, kept on helping the team reach the heights. As the player bids adieu to all formats of international cricket with the final Twenty20 International (T20I), here is a list of few of his top knocks in the shortest format of the game. READ: Tillakaratne Dilshan: Maverick among legends

96* vs West Indies in 2009: It was the ICC World T20 2009 and Sri Lanka had reached the semi-final to face West Indies. It was the usual pair of Dilshan with Jayasuriya who started Sri Lanka’s innings. The team needed a safe total and Dilshan made sure they did. The player started hitting from the very first over, which let the otherwise aggressive Jayasuriya pace down his innings. When Jayasuriya departed for 24, Sri Lanka already had 73 runs from 10.3 overs. Wickets kept falling at the other end but Dilshan stood like a rock. When the Lankan batting came to an end, the player had already scored 96 runs with the help of 12 fours and a couple of sixes, reamaining unbeaten. The run feast pushed Sri Lanka’s score to 158 and a combine bowling attack of Murali and Angelo Mathews made sure Dilshan’s efforts did not go down in vain. Sri Lanka won the match by a massive 57 runs and Dilshan was duely awarded the Man of the Match. READ: Tillakaratne Dilshan: 10 best ODI knocks of the Sri Lanka legend

57 vs New Zealand: Sri Lanka were playing a Daniel Vettori led New Zealand at home. While the team could not do much, it was Ross Taylor who single-handedly played a remarkable knock of 60 off 45. The target being 141, it looked easy for the Lankan batting line-up that had names like Jayasuriya and Sangakkara by their side, However, all failed to perform to everyone’s surprise, leaving the onus upon Dilshan’s lone shoulders. Dilshan kept on fighting as he saw the top and middle-order batsmen depart. The player got to his 50 but departed for 57 and could not save the hosts from a 3-run defeat. But the way he played showed that he had nerves of steel and had the intent to fight till the end.

104* vs Australia: Dilshan was a kind of player, who once settled, looked unstoppable. Among many innings of him which is an example, this knock of the player has to be one. Sri Lanka were hosting Australia and this time, it was Dilshan who was captaining the side. Winning the toss at Pallekele, Cameron White chose to send the hosts to bat. Dilshan came out to open along with Jayawardene. Australia tasted initial success, sending Jayawardene back for a mere 11 within 3 overs of play and White’s decision looked to be a fruitful one. But Dilshan had different plans for the guests. While wickets kept falling at the other end, nothing seemed to affect Dilshan.

A bowling attack consisting Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson looked very ordinary in front of the Lankan skipper, who was scoring in boundaries and sixes. After 20 overs of fireworks, Dilshan was unbeaten at 104 off 57 balls. The player hit 12 fours and 5 sixes in the innings which helped Sri Lanka post a challenge of 198 for the touring party. The innings was a very special one for Dilshan, as with this century, Dilshan became the first captain to score hundred in all formats of international cricket — a record which is yet to be broken at the time of writing this article. This was Dilshan’s maiden and also the only hundred of his T20I career.

76 vs New Zealand in 2012: Perhaps one of the most exciting cricket matches to take place in Sri Lanka was that against New Zealand at Pallekele. It was the ICC World T20 2012 and Jayawardene led Sri Lanka to face Ross Taylor’s New Zealand in a group stage match. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat. The team started off really well, not losing a wicket till the 10th over. Martin Guptill then departed for a 38. Brendon McCullum and Rob Nicol took things further but before the team score could reach 100, McCullum was sent back for a 16-ball 22. New Zealand kept losing wickets regularly post that and finally ended with 174 with the loss of 7 wickets, Nicol being the highest scorer with his 58.

For a tournament like WT20, the total seemed quite challenging but Sri Lanka’s Mr Dependable ensured they were in the contest. Lankans also started off pretty well, for that matter, better than their opponents as they did not lose a wicket till the team scored 88. Jayawardene departed for 44 but Dilshan stayed there. His 53-ball 76, that saw 5 fours and 3 sixes, pushed the score to match the target exactly, taking the game to one-over eliminator, where Sri Lanka snatched the victory out of New Zealand’s paws.

74* vs South Africa in 2013: It was 2013 and South Africa were in Sri Lanka for a limited-overs tour. The hosts had won the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series earlier in the tour but were even with South Africa, as they had won the first two T20Is and pocketed the series already. The third and final T20I was more like a battle for pride for the hosts and keeping that in mind, Dilshan pulled off yet another match-winning effort. Batting first, South Africa were guided by Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy to put up a decent looking 163.

Jayawardene did a fare job opening with Dilshan and scoring a quickfire 33 but it was Dilshan who stole the limelight. Following Jayawardene’s wicket, Sri Lanka failed to build up a similar partnership but Dilshan kept hitting. His 51 ball 74 took Sri Lanka to a comfortable victory with 1.5 overs to spare. Sri Lanka got their confidence back, as they tasted success after consecutive defeats and Dilshan turned the hero again.

(Paulami Chakraborty, a singer, dancer, artist, and photographer, loves the madness of cricket and writes about the game. She can be followed on Twitter at @Polotwitts)

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