Once the opening batsman for Sri Lanka, Upul Tharanga faded away from cricket very slowly. Tharanga announced his retirement in a Facebook post on Tuesday. He played his last Test match in 2017 and his last ODI in 2019. He has 6951 runs in 235 ODIs and 1754 in 31 Test matches. With a highest score of 47, he wasn’t much of a force in T20 cricket.
He first came in to the limelight at the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup. His ODI cricket was marked by many ups and downs. Indians would remember him for his unbeaten 174 during a Tri-series in the West Indies. He released a statement on Facebook in which he announced his retirement from cricket.
Read Upul Tharanga’s full statement here:
My Dear Friends,
As the good old saying goes "All good things must come to an end", 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. 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.
Thank you all!
He was also the captain of Sri Lanka’s ODI team for a brief time when Mathews was ruled out. Upul Tharanga is 36 years old when he is announcing his retirement. We bid him farewell and wish a happy retirement.