Frank Dimuth Madushanka Karunaratne (born 21 April 1988), popularly known as Dimuth Karunaratne, is a Sri Lankan former professional cricketer and a former captain of the Sri Lanka Test and One Day International (ODI) teams. A left-handed opening batter, he was widely regarded as one of the leading Test openers of his era and was named in the ICC Test Cricket Team of the Year on three occasions.
| Full name | Frank Dimuth Madushanka Karunaratne |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 April 1988 |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Role | Opening batter |
| Domestic team | Sinhalese Sports Club (first-class) |
| National teams | Sri Lanka (Test, ODI) |
| Test captain | From February 2019 |
| ODI captain | From April 2019 |
| ICC Test Team of the Year | Selected three times |
Karunaratne played first-class cricket for the Sinhalese Sports Club, one of Sri Lanka's leading domestic sides, before establishing himself in the national team as a specialist opener.
From 2015 onwards, Karunaratne emerged as Sri Lanka's leading batsman in Tests, particularly noted for his run-scoring in the second innings of matches. Commentators frequently described him as a "second-innings specialist", with four of his first six Test centuries (up to October 2017) coming in the second innings.
On 7 October 2017, he became the second Sri Lankan opener, after Tillakaratne Dilshan, to score three Test centuries in a single calendar year.
In February 2019, Karunaratne was appointed captain of Sri Lanka's Test squad for the series against South Africa. In April 2019, Sri Lanka Cricket named him the team's new ODI captain ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, replacing Lasith Malinga.
During the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Karunaratne carried his bat through a completed innings, becoming the only batsman after Ridley Jacobs of the West Indies to achieve the feat in a Cricket World Cup.
Karunaratne announced his retirement from Test cricket after playing the 100th Test match of his career, which came during the home series against Australia.
Karunaratne's career is marked by sustained run-making at the top of the Sri Lankan batting order during a transitional period for the side following the retirements of senior batters. His selection thrice in the ICC Test Team of the Year, his proficiency in the second innings, and his leadership of the national side across the 2019 World Cup and the South Africa Test series underline his standing in modern Sri Lankan cricket.