Published: Sep 10, 2016, 01:22 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 10, 2016, 01:36 PM (IST)
Sri Lankan top-order batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan bid farewell to the international circuit after the conclusion of second Twenty20 International (T20I) against Sri Lanka at Colombo on Friday. Dilshan has been a productive resource for the side and done a laudable job with his improvisations and gritty batting at the top. Dilshan represented Sri Lanka in 87 Tests, 330 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 79 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and scored some heavy runs across the formats. His tally of 5,492 runs in Tests, 10,290 in ODIs and 1,888 (excluding his ultimate game) makes him one of the greatest to have graced the gentlemen’s game of cricket.
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A well poised batsman, who relies on his hand eye co-ordination, Dilshan is exciting to watch when in form. Apart from his batting skills, he has been a useful contributor with the ball and bowls wily off-spin. He is undoubtedly more than a part-time spinner with some canny variations up in his sleeves. Dilshan has also scaled the Sri Lankan fielding standards to a newer height; he is a livewire on the field. Dilshan invented the famous ‘dilscoop’, an execution, which helps a batsman to get the ball over the wicketkeeper for some priceless runs. It involves massive risk as the ball may hit the batsman if not connected well. Dilshan is a versatile batsman and can bat in any format at any given position. He is the only Sri Lankan batsman to have scored a century in all three formats of the game; this feat corroborates the belief of his versatility.
Sri Lanka were the runners-up in the 2011 World Cup and one of the pivotal reasons behind it was Dilshan’s successful run in the tournament. He was the highest run-scorer with 500 runs in nine matches to his name. Dilshan also holds the record for smashing six consecutive boundaries in an over, which came against Mitchell Johnson in the 2015 World Cup encounter. Dilshan also served the Sri Lankan side as their skipper but his stint didn’t last for long.
Dilshan played a vital role in rebuilding Sri Lankan team after many renowned names pulled curtains over their career. With age, he only kept getting better. He has also featured for couple of Indian Premier League (IPL) teams — Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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As Dilshan calls it a day from international cricket and is playing the final international game of his career, many people have spoken highly about him. Dilshan has also opened up on many aspects and we present you with a list on quotes on Dilshan.
