Former Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan has been granted Australian citizenship, as confirmed by Australian MP Jason Wood in a social media post. Dilshan, renowned for his explosive batting style, played a pivotal role in numerous victories for the Sri Lankan cricket team throughout his career. The 47-year-old’s acquisition of Australian citizenship marks a new chapter in his life post-retirement from professional cricket.
“Today’s citizenship ceremony was made even more special with the attendance of Tillakaratne Dilshan, a former Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team.
“Dilshan is regarded as the best Sri Lankan player in run-chases in ODI history. He also holds the record for being the top run scorer in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup with 500 runs and scored a century against England in the semi-final. Additionally, he was part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20,” the MP posted on social media.
MP Jason Wood, welcoming Dilshan as a new Australian citizen and local resident, expressed his hope that the veteran would consider joining a local team.
“It was great to hear that his daughter Resandi is following in her father’s footsteps,” he added.
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Tillakaratne Dilshan amassed over 10,000 runs from 330 ODIs since his one-day international debut in 1999 against Zimbabwe. His Test career spanned 87 matches, during which he accumulated 5492 runs, including a high-score of 193. In 80 T20I matches, Dilshan made 1889 runs, which featured one century and 13 half-centuries.
Renowned for his unorthodox style, including the innovative scoop shot, Dilshan proved to be an extremely effective and versatile batsman across formats throughout his career.
