Hettige Don Rumesh Lahiru Thirimanne (Sinhala: හෙට්ටිගේ දොන් රුමේෂ් ළහිරු තිරිමාන්න; born 9 August 1989), commonly known as Lahiru Thirimanne, is a Sri Lankan former international cricketer who represented Sri Lanka across all three formats of the game. A left-handed opening batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler, he served as captain of the Sri Lanka One Day International (ODI) team and earlier as its vice-captain.
| Full name | Hettige Don Rumesh Lahiru Thirimanne |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 August 1989 |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Batting style | Left-handed (opening batsman) |
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Roles held | ODI captain; ODI vice-captain |
| Major titles | 2014 ICC World Twenty20; 2014 Asia Cup |
| Retirement from international cricket | 22 July 2023 |
| Current residence | Australia (post-retirement) |
Thirimanne emerged through Sri Lankan domestic cricket as a top-order left-handed batsman. He was elevated to leadership responsibilities within the national team, serving as vice-captain of the ODI side before being dropped following a sustained period of poor performances. He was recalled to the national team in 2018.
Thirimanne was a member of the Sri Lankan squad that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. In the same year, he was part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 2014 Asia Cup, where he was named Player of the Series.
In Test cricket, Thirimanne's record in the top six of the batting order has been the subject of statistical note. Among batsmen who have played 50 or more Test innings in the top six, his average of 22.06 was the lowest in history, marginally below the 22.07 recorded by Bangladesh's Javed Omar across a 40-Test career.
After scoring his maiden Test century at Galle, Thirimanne went seven years and 10 months without another, averaging 18.86 over 53 innings during that span. The drought ended with his second Test century, scored against England. He produced a notable comeback in the Test format in 2021.
Thirimanne's career encapsulates the contrasts that defined a generation of Sri Lankan cricketers in the post-2010 era — significant white-ball success, including two major ICC and ACC titles in 2014, alongside prolonged struggles for consistency in Test cricket. His leadership roles in the ODI side and his eventual return to form in Tests in 2021 mark him as a long-serving figure across formats for Sri Lanka.