Dimuth Karunaratne Talks about His Long-Term Goals for His Test Career

Sri Lankan Batter Dimuth Karunaratnen has been in the spotlight for quite a while for his career statistics. Now, having completed 89 Tests and been relieved of his captaincy duties, he is setting his sights on some noteworthy numerical milestones. While we will see into those achievements shortly, it’s worth noting that he is currently in pursuit of Usman Khawaja, a fellow Australian left-handed opener.

In the past, he openly expressed his wish to surpass South African batter Dean Elgar’s cricket records, acknowledging his superior average and run tally. However, Karunaratne has since eclipsed Dean Elgar in both those categories and is now determined to surpass Usman Khawaja’s annual run tallies.

Karunaratne’s Wish:

Dimuth Karunaratne, a self-proclaimed cricket stats enthusiast, is setting his sights on some impressive numbers as he reaches 89 Tests and leaves captaincy behind. Currently chasing Usman Khawaja, another left-handed opener, Karunaratne has scored 1254 runs since the start of 2022 compared to Khawaja’s 2476.

However, Khawaja’s advantage is attributed to playing 50 Test innings, twice as many as Karunaratne’s 26. In terms of average, Khawaja leads with 56.27, while Karunaratne maintains a solid 50.16. Their exceptional performance earned them spots in the ICC’s Test Team of the Year, despite Sri Lanka’s limited Test matches in 2023, totaling only six.

Dimuth Karunaratne’s Words:

Dimuth Karunaratne said after hitting 77 against Afghanistan, “Among openers, I think I’m in a pretty good place, compared to others internationally”. “But recently Usman Khawaja has been very good. He’s been consistent last year and the year before. What I’m trying to do is to compare myself to him year by year, and also to be in that World XI every year. When Khawaja plays, I follow that series – the Ashes, and even the recent West Indies series. I watch how he bats and what he does. You need these things to force you forward. Otherwise, when you don’t have a target, you don’t have that kick to improve.”

Dimuth Karunaratne’s career runs have surpassed the 3000-run mark, and his total now stands at 6708 runs, even after his recent innings of 77 against Afghanistan. This achievement takes on added significance when considering that he is the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka as an opener.

He said, “ My first goal is to get to 100 Tests, that’s a great achievement for any Test cricketer. If I get there, I want to see how close I am to 10,000 runs, and then I’d try to push for that. At the moment my fitness is good. I’m trying to leave a good legacy in this format. I’m close to 7000 runs, and maybe in the next two or three years, I can get to that 3000 more. Those are my two goals, so I have to maintain my fitness and consistency.”

He further added, “Yes, I’m someone who is very aware of my stats and I compare that with others. There’s Sanath aiya, and then there’s Angelo after that. I am trying to get to my targets and then be able to look back after I retire and take satisfaction in that.

“It’s not enough to have played cricket and represented your national team. That’s why I love this format, because it gives me a lot of satisfaction. I want to try to pass all these legends one by one. I’ve been able to do that to some extent. I’m trying to do more.”

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