Ex-Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan is now an Australian citizen, confirmed by Australian MP Jason Wood in a social media post.Known for his explosive batting, Dilshan was a major contributor to the Sri Lankan cricket team’s several victories.. At 47, gaining Australian citizenship marks a new chapter in his life after retiring 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. He also played for Sri Lanka in their 2014 ICC World Twenty20 victory,” the MP wrote on social media.
MP Jason Wood welcomed Dilshan as a new Australian citizen and local resident, expressing hope that the veteran cricketer might consider joining a local team.
It was great to hear that his daughter Resandi is following in her father’s footsteps,” he added.
Tillakaratne Dilshan scored over 10,000 runs in 330 ODIs since debuting in 1999 against Zimbabwe. His Test career spanned 87 matches, with 5492 runs and a high-score of 193. In 80 T20Is, Dilshan made 1889 runs, including one century and 13 half-centuries.
