Dinesh Chandimal

Personal life

On 26 December 2004, Dinesh was just a 14-year-old boy when his family home was destroyed by the Indian Ocean Tsunami tragedy.He still frequents Balapitiya, to memorize the tragic incident which devastated his family.

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

School cricket

Chandimal started his cricketing career as a teenager at his first school Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda. Later he moved to Ananda College, Colombo captaining the under-17 team. In 2008, he was appointed captain of the school's first eleven, which he led in 13 outright wins in a season, re-writing history in Sri Lankan school cricket. He 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. After leaving school, he joined the Nondescripts Cricket Club

Early career

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

In First class career, he scored 64, 04, and 109 in his first three innings for Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI. He 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.

Domestic career

During the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, he was bought for $50,000 by the Rajasthan Royals, Recently he made aa contact with Chittagong Vikings to play in the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League for Chittagong Vikings.

International career

He 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.

After also playing against New Zealand in a Twenty20 International match in Florida, Chandimal was selected for an ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, where the two sides also played India. He 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 (by six wickets) and knock India out of the tournament. He also became the youngest Sri Lankan to score an ODI century.

Chandimal made his Test debut for Sri Lanka in December 2011, in the second Test of the series against South Africa in Durban. He made half-centuries (58 and 54) in each of Sri Lanka's innings becoming the first Sri Lankan batsman to score half centuries in both innings on Test debut. This incidentally led Sri Lanka to their first Test win in South Africa.

Dinesh Chandimal holds the joint record for taking the most number of catches in a single T20I as a fielder (4) along with Darren Sammy, Ajinkya Rahane, Peter Borren, Corey Anderson and Babar Hayat. He too has taken the most number of catches for Sri Lanka in a single T20I.

During 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, against Australia in Sydney, Chandimal scored 50 off 22 balls, was the fastest fifty before Angelo Mathews scored 20-ball fifty, by Sri Lankan batsman in Cricket world cup history, where Sri Lanka had a massive 377 target to chase. During the innings, he was retired hurt, and eventually Sri Lanka lost the match by 64 runs.

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. In the first innings, he scored 59 runs but eventually Sri Lanka were all out for 183. In the second innings after India's huge 375 runs, Sri Lanka were all out for 367 runs courtesy of Chandimal's brilliant knock of unbeaten 162 runs. He was the star for the Sri Lankan innings with 16 fours and 4 sixes. Sri Lanka had a 175 lead and India were just ended with 112 runs and Sri Lanka won the match by 63 runs. Due to Chandimal's batting performance in the right time, he was adjudged as man of the match.

His third ODI century came after five years of delay, against Ireland on 16 June 2016.

Chandimal had an impressive run scoring throughout the England series in 2016 and then in Australia series at home. He scored five consecutive ODI half centuries, which equals most consecutive ODI fifties by a Sri Lankan with Jayasuriya, Sangakkara and Dilshan. He missed the Sri Lankan record, when he lbw by Adam Zampa on 48, just short of 2 runs for Chandimal's sixth consecutive fifty. 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.

Chandimal was not initially selected for the limited over series against India, but after the injury to Danushka Gunathilaka, Chandimal was brought into the ODI side. He 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. After the conclusion of Sri Lanka's innings, media reported that he has a hairline fracture and ruled out of the Indian tour.

Captaincy

On 17 July 2013, 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. In 2013, he was also appointed captain of the Sri Lanka Twenty20 International side and also vice-captain of the country's one day international team. During the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, he stepped down from the captaincy after injury and suspension due to slow over rate and later Lasith Malinga appointed as the captain. Malinga was able to lead the team for their first ever Twenty20 champion title and this strengthen Malinga as the permanent captain of the Twenty20 team.

He led the ODI team and T20I team in many occasions, where the permanent captains Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga were injured in many occasions. However, after many poor performances in bilateral series and in 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Chandimal was dropped from limited over squads. During Zimbabwe tour, he was again dropped from the ODI squad as well. However, after terrible loss to Zimbabwe at home for the first time, the captaincy of Mathews was questioned and criticized by many critics. The result was, Mathews stepped down from the role in all formats on 11 July 2017. With that, Chandimal was named permanent captain of the Test team for Sri Lanka.

His first test captaincy came during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in July 2017. In the match, Chandimal scored 55 in the first innings, which is recorded as the highest test score by a debut captain in a first innings for Sri Lanka as well. Sri Lanka won the match by 4 wickets at the end, by chasing massive total of 388 runs. This chase was recorded as the best chase by Sri Lanka in Tests and best successful chase in Asia.

However prior to India tour, Chandimal was contracted pneumonia and ruled out of the first test. Rangana Herath was appointed as the stand-in captain in the first match. However, with two more injuries during the match, Sri Lanka lost the match by 304 runs.

Awards

Test Cricket – Man of the match awards