Dimuth asks to step down after Ireland Tests

Sri Lanka Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne said that he had asked national team selectors to relieve him from the role after the upcoming Ireland Test series.

 Karunaratne was appointed as Test captain in 2019, taking over from Dinesh Chandimal, and brought Sri Lanka within the cusp of a place in the World Test Championship final before the 2-0 series defeat to New Zealand ended those chances.

 “I think it’s good if we can have a new captain take over ahead of the next World Test series cycle, instead of me stepping down in the middle of it,” Karunaratne said after Sri Lanka’s innings and 58 run defeat to New Zealand on Monday.  

 “I still haven’t got a response, but in my mind, I think it’s good if we have a new captain appointed ahead of the next cycle,” he added.
 He also excelled more as a batsman since taking on the captaincy role, averaging 47.70 in those 26 Tests, and was named in the ICC’s Test Team of the Year for 2021.