49 Facts About Dinesh Chandimal

1.

Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who captained the Sri Lanka national cricket team.

2.

Dinesh Chandimal was a key member of 2012 ICC World Twenty20 runner-up team and 2014 ICC World Twenty20 winning team.

3.

Dinesh Chandimal led Sri Lanka in first group stage of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, until was suspended for slow over rate and subsequently lost the place in the team for the remainder of the tournament.

4.

On 26 December 2004, Dinesh Chandimal was just a 14-year-old boy when his family home was destroyed by the Indian Ocean Tsunami tragedy.

5.

Dinesh Chandimal married his longtime partner Ishika Jayasekara on 1 May 2015 in Colombo.

6.

Dinesh Chandimal started his cricketing career as a teenager at his first school Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda.

7.

Dinesh Chandimal was the first schoolboy cricketer to exceed 1,000 runs with an aggregate of 1,580, and won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award in 2009.

8.

Dinesh Chandimal has the record for the most dismissals as wicketkeeper for Sri Lanka in Youth ODI history with 51 dismissals and the only Sri Lankan wicketkeeper to involve in 50+ dismissals in Youth ODI history.

9.

Dinesh Chandimal is an aggressive batsman who scored two centuries for his country's U-19s, which he vice-captained, and played for the Sri Lanka Cricket XI and Schools Invitation XI for List A and Twenty20 cricket.

10.

Dinesh Chandimal made his international debut during the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies, playing in Sri Lanka's group games against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the initial group stage and then playing against Australia in the "Super Eight" final series.

11.

Dinesh Chandimal made his debut against Zimbabwe, scoring an unbeaten 10 as his side cruised to a nine-wicket win and then registered his maiden international century by scoring 111 runs off 118 balls against India, an innings that helped his side both win the match and knock India out of the tournament.

12.

Dinesh Chandimal became the youngest Sri Lankan to score an ODI century.

13.

Dinesh Chandimal made his Test debut for Sri Lanka in December 2011, in the second Test of the series against South Africa in Durban.

14.

Dinesh Chandimal made half-centuries in each of Sri Lanka's innings becoming the first Sri Lankan batsman to score half centuries in both innings on Test debut.

15.

Dinesh Chandimal holds the joint record for taking the most catches in a single T20I as a fielder along with Darren Sammy, Ajinkya Rahane, Peter Borren, Corey Anderson and Babar Hayat.

16.

Dinesh Chandimal too has taken the most catches for Sri Lanka in a single T20I.

17.

Dinesh Chandimal was included to the test series with India as the permanent wicket-keeper and showed an excellent talent in the test level as well.

18.

Dinesh Chandimal was the star for the Sri Lankan innings with 16 fours and 4 sixes.

19.

Dinesh Chandimal had an impressive run scoring throughout the England series in 2016 and then in Australia series at home.

20.

Dinesh Chandimal scored five consecutive ODI half centuries, which equals most consecutive ODI fifties by a Sri Lankan with Jayasuriya, Sangakkara and Dilshan.

21.

Dinesh Chandimal missed the Sri Lankan record, when he was declared LBW by Adam Zampa on 48, just short of 2 runs for Chandimal's sixth consecutive fifty.

22.

Dinesh Chandimal finished the England series with scores of 52,62,63 and 53 and in first ODI against Australia, he scored his fifth consecutive fifty with unbeaten 80.

23.

Dinesh Chandimal was not initially selected for the limited over series against India, but after the injury to Danushka Gunathilaka, Dinesh Chandimal was brought into the ODI side.

24.

Dinesh Chandimal played in the third ODI as the opener with Niroshan Dickwella and scored 37 runs, when he hit by a bouncer and injured his right thumb.

25.

On 17 July 2013, Dinesh Chandimal became the youngest ODI captain for Sri Lanka, when he was appointed as the ODI captain for first two matches against South Africa in Colombo.

26.

Dinesh Chandimal led the ODI team and T20I team in many occasions, where the permanent captains Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga were injured in many occasions.

27.

However, after many poor performances in bilateral series and in 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Dinesh Chandimal was dropped from limited over squads.

28.

However prior to India tour, Dinesh Chandimal was contracted pneumonia and ruled out of the first test.

29.

Dinesh Chandimal scored 155 runs the match and guided the team to 400 runs for the first innings.

30.

Dinesh Chandimal scored 62 in the first innings, but dismissed for naught in the second innings.

31.

Skipper Dinesh Chandimal was the only stand out performer in the match with two fifties in the match.

32.

On 7 February 2018, Dinesh Chandimal was appointed as the captain for T20I side for Sri Lanka for Bangladesh tour, due to injury of permanent limited over captain Angelo Mathews.

33.

Dinesh Chandimal was included to the one-off Twenty20 International against South Africa on 14 August 2018.

34.

Dinesh Chandimal played as the wicket-keeper in the match as well.

35.

However, Sri Lanka lost 7 wickets in the easy chase, where Dinesh Chandimal protected his end until the end.

36.

Dinesh Chandimal was there at the end and held firm through sustained pressure from the South African pack to see Sri Lanka home with an unbeaten 36 runs.

37.

Dinesh Chandimal was appointed limited overs captain after Matthews was sacked after 2018 Asia Cup.

38.

Dimuth Karunaratne was named as the stand-in captain for the tour, while Dinesh Chandimal was released to play domestic cricket and regain his form with the bat.

39.

In December 2019, Dinesh Chandimal was recalled for the Pakistan test series.

40.

On 8 March 2021, Sri Lanka tour of West Indies, during 3rd T20I match Dinesh Chandimal scored his fifth T20I half century.

41.

Dinesh Chandimal scored unbeaten 54* runs and put an unbeaten stand of 85 from 63, Sri Lanka's highest in T20Is for the fifth wicket, with Ashen Bandara.

42.

Dinesh Chandimal played the third game of the series, which became his 150th ODI and Sri Lanka later won the match and the series.

43.

Later the same month, Dinesh Chandimal was named in Sri Lanka's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

44.

On 26 May 2022 during the second test match against Bangladesh, Dinesh Chandimal scored his twelfth Test century, where he made 199-run partnership for the sixth wicket with fellow centurion Angelo Mathews, the highest between the pair in Tests.

45.

Dinesh Chandimal was a part of the team in 6 test matches, batted 10 innings and scored 719 runs averaging 102.71 including a brilliant double century which came against Australia.

46.

Dinesh Chandimal is the second-highest run scorer among openers overall.

47.

However, before finishing the match, Dinesh Chandimal pleaded not guilty to the ball-tampering incident and this caused trouble at the start of Day 3 of a test match.

48.

Dinesh Chandimal's hearing took place before the start of the first Test against South Africa, with him found guilty.

49.

Dinesh Chandimal received a two-match ban, with Suranga Lakmal captaining the side in his place.