Lahiru Thirimanne of Sri Lanka declares his immediate retirement from international cricket

On Sunday, Lahiru Thirimanne, a batsman for Sri Lanka, announced his immediate retirement from international cricket.

After making his international debut in 2010, the 33-year-old turned to social media to announce his decision, ending a career that saw him play for Sri Lanka in 44 Tests, 127 ODIs, and 26 T20Is.

“Over the last several years, it has been an amazing honor to represent my nation. Over the years, this game has given me a lot. But with a lot of conflicted emotions, I must say that I am here to announce my immediate retirement from international cricket,” Thirimanne said on Facebook.

“As a player, I gave it my all, tried my hardest, showed respect for the game, and did my duty to my homeland in an honest and moral manner.

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 would want to thank the SLC members, as well as my coaches, teammates, physios, trainers, and analysts, for their encouragement and support.

“And to all of my friends, family, and journalists for their love, support, and inspiration throughout the years. I will always be appreciative to you all. I appreciate those of you who have helped me in the background during my career, he continued.

The talented left-hander played for Sri Lanka in the team that beat India in the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in Mirpur. He achieved three Test centuries and four ODI hundreds throughout his ODI career.

Thirimanne participated in three T20 World Cup campaigns, as well as Sri Lanka’s two most recent 50-over World Cup campaigns in 2015 and 2019.

In the second Test against India in Bengaluru in March of last year, Thirimanne played his last game for Sri Lanka and lost cheaply for eight and zero.