Birthday Special: Top three knocks of Dinesh Chandimal
A prolific right-handed wicketkeeping-batsman, Dinesh Chandimal has been an integral part of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is the former captain of the Lanka side across formats and plays as a handy and agile batsman. Chandimal sometimes also provides his services as a middle-order batsman and was the first skipper to guide his national team to their first day-night Test win. The 30-year-old played a crucial role in the 2012 ICC World T20, where Sri Lanka finished as the runners-up and the victorious 2014 ICC World T20 campaign.
Chandimal was leading Sri Lanka in the first group stage of the 2014 World T20 tournament until he had to pay a heavy price for his slow over rate. He was suspended and eventually got sidelined from the team for the rest of the mega event. He has now joined the Sri Lanka Army in the position of a volunteer commissioned officer and became eligible to ply his trade in Lanka Army Sports Club.
Let us take a look at the top three knocks of Chandimal’s career:
354* in a First-Class match
Chandimal displayed some terrific form when he played an unbeaten knock of 354 runs while plying his trade for Sri Lanka Army in the Super 8 round. He hit a stunning score when he was part of the Premier League Tournament Tier A, organised by Sri Lanka Cricket. His brilliant innings came off 391 balls and was laced up with 33 fours and 9 sixes against Saracens CC at MCG Katunayake. It is his highest score in the game to date.
162* vs India – 2015
During India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2015, Chandimal rose to the occasion in the 1st Test match at Galle. While he scored a substantial 59 in the first innings, he had some mega plans for his 2nd innings. Chandimal played a thunderous knock of 162* to lead Lanka to glory. It was called his career-defending knock when he showed some uncommon heroics to bag the Player of the Match award.
164 vs India – 2017
During Lanka’s tour of India in 2017, Chandimal produced his career-best innings of 164 runs in the third Test at Delhi. The match ended in a draw but the knock by the right-handed batsman became the backbone of Lanka’s batting set up in the 1st innings. His knock was supported by Angelo Mathews, who added an impressive ton from his bat too.
