Thisara Perera, the Sri Lankan all-rounder, declared his retirement from international cricket on Monday. Perera said in a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that he wanted to concentrate on his family before stating that it was time for him to step back and allow the younger generation to take their place. In 2009, the 32-year-old made his international debut in Kolkata against India. In his 12-year international career, he has played 6 Tests, 166 ODIs, and 84 T20Is for Sri Lanka.
In T20Is, the all-rounder had 1,204 runs and 51 wickets, while in one-day internationals, he had 2,338 runs and 135 wickets.
In 2017, Perera was appointed captain of the Sri Lankan ODI and T20I teams. In 2019, he made his first ODI century against New Zealand, scoring 140 off only 74 balls. In addition, he has a hat-trick in ODIs and T20Is for his country.
🏅 2014 @T20WorldCup winner
— ICC (@ICC) May 3, 2021
🎩 Hat-tricks in both ODIs and T20Is
🔥 An all-rounder par excellence
Sri Lanka’s @PereraThisara has announced his retirement from international cricket! pic.twitter.com/NxrZxH4Rpa
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2014, which Sri Lanka won by defeating India in the final in Dhaka, was the pinnacle of his career. In the final, he scored an unbeaten 23 off 14 balls, including the game-winning six after being moved up the order.
“I take pride in the fact that I was able to represent Sri Lanka in seven cricket World Cups, and be a participating member of the 2014 T20 World Cup victory over India in Bangladesh,” Perera said in a tweet.
“Thisara was a talented all-rounder, who has contributed tremendously as a player to Sri Lanka Cricket and played a part in some of the country’s glorious cricketing moments,” Sri Lanka CEO Ashley De Silva said of Perera’s retirement.
Perera’s last Test was against Pakistan in Pallekele in 2012. In March 2021, he played his last ODI match against the West Indies.