Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga announces retirement from international cricket: All good things must come to an end

The 36-year-old Sri Lankan cricketer Upul Tharanga has called time on his international career saying “As the good old saying goes ‘All good things must come to an end’”.

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Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga announces retirement from international cricket: All good things must come to an end
Upul Tharanga. (AP Photo)

In Short

  • Upul Tharanga has called time on his international career of 16 years
  • As the good old saying goes ‘All good things must come to an end’: the cricketer wrote
  • The left-handed bat amassed 6951 runs in 235 ODIs for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka batsman Upul Tharanga, on Tuesday (February 23), called time on his international career of sixteen years at the age of 36.

“As the good old saying goes ‘All good things must come to an end’”, the cricketer wrote.

Tharanga last played an international match when he featured in the final ODI of Sri Lanka’s 2019 tour of South Africa, in Cape Town. He last played the last of his 31 Test matches for Sri Lanka in 2017 during India’s visit to the Island nation, whereas his last T20I was in 2018 against Bangladesh at home. Tharanga, who made his international debut in 2005, also played 26 T20Is.

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“I believe it is time for me to bid farewell to my International Cricket Career after over 15 years of giving the game my all. I leave behind a road traveled with fond memories and great friendships. I am thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket for always having faith and the trust vested in me,” Tharanga wrote.

“I am grateful to the many Cricket Loving Fans, friends And my family for standing by me during my highest of highs and even at my lowest points in my career. Your well-wishes and messages of encouragement was easily the drive behind my ambition. For that I thank you all, and I wish you well. I would like to wish Sri Lanka Cricket all the very best for the future and I am hopeful that the team will bounce back strong soon,” he added.

In addition to his 31 Tests, the left-handed bat amassed 6951 runs in 235 ODIs for Sri Lanka. The occasional wicketkeeper had also been a stand-in captain several times in limited-overs before being named as the captain of the side but that stint couldn’t survive more than 5 months.