Sri Lanka Cricket accepts Lahiru Thirimanne’s resignation

Lahiru Thirimanne. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has accepted Lahiru Thirimanne’s letter of resignation from all formats of international cricket. The Executive Committee of the SLC decided to accept the resignation after a meeting conducted recently.

Thirimanne played in 44 Test matches, amassing 2088 runs including three centuries at an average of 26.43. He also appeared in 127 ODI games and 26 T20Is, scoring 3194 and 291 runs, respectively. The southpaw scored four ODI tons while playing in the 50-over format and captained Sri Lanka in five ODIs.

‘We take this opportunity to wish Thirimanne the best in his future endeavours, and his services to Sri Lanka Cricket covering all forms of the game will be well remembered,’ SLC CEO Ashley De Silva said in an official statement.

Thirimanne took to social media on July 22 to inform about his retirement decision. He expressed his gratitude for getting the opportunity to represent Sri Lanka over the years.

“It has been an absolute honour to represent my country for the past few years. This game has given me so much over the years. But with a lot of mixed feelings, I am here to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect,” Thirimanne’s Facebook post read.

Thirimanne was part of the Sri Lankan team that beat India in the final of the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Mirpur. Notably, it was one of three T20 World Cup tournaments that he has took part in. In addition, he also played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s ODI World Cup campaigns in 2015 and 2019.

Thirimanne has played first-class cricket in the most recent season in Sri Lanka. His last game for the country was the second Test against India in March 2022 in Bengaluru. He failed to perform during the game, falling cheaply for eight and zero.