Dinesh Chandimal facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal
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| Born | 18 November 1989 Balapitiya, Sri Lanka |
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| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off-break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper-batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 122) | 26 December 2011 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 26 September 2024 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 144) | 1 June 2010 v Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 30 November 2022 v Afghanistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 56 (previously 36, 17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 33) | 30 April 2010 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 27 February 2022 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 56 (previously 36, 17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–present | Sri Lanka Army | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2019 | Nondescripts Cricket Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Ruhuna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Rajasthan Royals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Chittagong Vikings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–present | Colombo Stars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Sylhet Sunrisers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 29 September 2024
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Medal record
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Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal (born 18 November 1989) is a famous Sri Lankan cricket player. He used to be the captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. Dinesh is a right-handed batsman who sometimes plays as a wicket-keeper. He helped Sri Lanka win the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 tournament.
In 2019, he joined the Sri Lankan Army as a volunteer officer. This allowed him to play for the Sri Lanka Army Sports Club. In 2020, he made a record-breaking score of 354 runs in a domestic first-class cricket match.
Contents
Early Life and Club Cricket
Dinesh Chandimal started playing cricket when he was a teenager. He first went to Dharmasoka College and then to Ananda College in Colombo. At Ananda College, he was the captain of the under-17 team. In 2008, he became captain of the main school team. He led them to 13 wins in one season, which was a new record for school cricket in Sri Lanka.
In 2009, he was the first schoolboy cricketer to score over 1,000 runs in a season, reaching 1,580 runs. He also won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award. After school, he joined the Nondescripts Cricket Club.
Dinesh holds a record as a wicketkeeper for Sri Lanka in Youth One Day International (ODI) matches. He has made 51 dismissals, which is the most by any Sri Lankan youth wicketkeeper.
In his early professional career, he scored well in first-class matches. He also played for teams like Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Chittagong Vikings in the Bangladesh Premier League.
He has captained different club teams, including Colombo, in various tournaments. In 2019, he scored a century in a Twenty20 tournament. In 2020, he scored an amazing 354 runs not out for the Sri Lanka Army Sports Club. This was the highest score ever in a domestic first-class match in Sri Lanka.
International Cricket Journey
Starting Out in International Games
Dinesh Chandimal first played for Sri Lanka internationally in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies. He played against teams like New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Australia.
Later that year, he played in an ODI series in Zimbabwe. He scored his first international century against India, making 111 runs. This helped his team win and made him the youngest Sri Lankan to score an ODI century.
In December 2011, Dinesh made his Test debut against South Africa. He scored two half-centuries (58 and 54 runs) in his first Test match. He was the first Sri Lankan batsman to score two half-centuries on Test debut. This helped Sri Lanka win their first Test match in South Africa.
Dinesh was an important player in the Sri Lankan team that reached the finals of the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 and won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He even captained the team in the early stages of the 2014 tournament.
He also holds a record for taking the most catches in a single Twenty20 International (T20I) match as a fielder, with four catches.
During the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, he scored a very fast fifty (50 runs off 22 balls) against Australia. This was the fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan in World Cup history at that time.
In a Test series against India in 2015, Dinesh played a fantastic innings. He scored an unbeaten 162 runs, which helped Sri Lanka win the match. He was named the man of the match for his great performance.
Getting Back in Form
After a few years, Dinesh scored his third ODI century in 2016 against Ireland. He also had a great run of form, scoring five half-centuries in a row in ODI matches. This matched a record held by other famous Sri Lankan players like Sanath Jayasuriya.
Leading the Team
Dinesh Chandimal became the youngest ODI captain for Sri Lanka in 2013. He also became the captain of the T20I team and vice-captain of the ODI team. He led the team many times when other captains were injured.
In 2017, he became the permanent captain of the Test team. His first Test as captain was against Zimbabwe, where he scored 55 runs. Sri Lanka won that match by chasing a very large score, which was a record for them in Tests.
In 2017, Dinesh scored his first Test century as captain against Pakistan, making 155 runs not out. Sri Lanka won that match. He also captained Sri Lanka in their first-ever day-night Test match, which they also won.
In 2018, he led Sri Lanka to win a tri-series tournament in Bangladesh. He also captained the T20I team during a tour of Bangladesh, where they chased a record score to win a match.
After Challenges
After some changes in captaincy, Dinesh continued to play important roles. In 2018, he helped Sri Lanka win a T20I match against South Africa by staying unbeaten with 36 runs.
In 2021, he scored another T20I half-century against West Indies. He was also part of Sri Lanka's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
Strong Performances in Test Matches (2022-Present)
In May 2022, Dinesh scored his twelfth Test century against Bangladesh. He made a huge partnership of 199 runs with Angelo Mathews. Sri Lanka won that series.
In July 2022, he scored an amazing 206 runs not out in a Test match against Australia. This was his first double century in Test cricket and the first by a Sri Lankan against Australia. Sri Lanka won that match by a big margin.
In 2022, Dinesh had a fantastic year in Test cricket, scoring 719 runs with an average of over 100. He continued his strong form in 2023 and 2024, scoring more centuries against teams like Ireland, Afghanistan, and New Zealand.
In September 2024, he scored his sixteenth Test century against New Zealand. Sri Lanka won that match and moved up in the 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship rankings.
International Centuries
Dinesh Chandimal has scored 20 centuries in international cricket: 16 in Test cricket and 4 in One Day International (ODI) matches.
Test centuries
| No. | Score | Against | Pos. | Inn. | Test | Venue | H/A/N | Date | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 116* |  Bangladesh |
6 | 1 | 1/2 | Galle International Stadium, Galle | Home | 13 March 2013 | Drawn | |
| 2 | 102 | Bangladesh |
6 | 2 | 2/2 | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | Home | 16 March 2013 | Won | |
| 3 | 100* | Bangladesh |
5 | 3 | 2/2 | Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram | Away | 4 February 2014 | Drawn | |
| 4 | 162*  |
 India |
6 | 3 | 1/3 | Galle International Stadium, Galle | Home | 12 August 2015 | Won | |
| 5 | 151 |  West Indies |
4 | 1 | 1/2 | Galle International Stadium, Galle | Home | 14 October 2015 | Won | |
| 6 | 126 |  England |
6 | 3 | 2/3 | Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street | Away | 27 May 2016 | Lost | |
| 7 | 132 |  Australia |
6 | 1 | 3/3 | Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo | Home | 13 August 2016 | Won | |
| 8 | 138 | Bangladesh |
4 | 1 | 2/2 | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | Home | 15 March 2017 | Lost | |
| 9 | 155*  |
 Pakistan |
5 | 1 | 1/2 | Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi | Neutral | 28 September 2017 | Won | |
| 10 | 164 |
India |
5 | 1 | 3/3 | Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi | Away | 2 December 2017 | Drawn | |
| 11 | 119^ |
West Indies |
5 | 1 | 2/3 | Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros Islet | Away | 14 June 2018 | Drawn | |
| 12 | 124 | Bangladesh |
7 | 2 | 2/2 | Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur | Away | 23 May 2022 | Won | |
| 13 | 206* | Australia |
5 | 2 | 2/2 | Galle International Stadium, Galle | Home | 8 July 2022 | Won | |
| 14 | 102* |  Ireland |
5 | 1 | 1/2 | Galle International Stadium, Galle | Home | 16 April 2023 | Won | |
| 15 | 107 |  Afghanistan |
5 | 2 | 1/1 | Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo | Home | 2 February 2024 | Won | |
| 16 | 116 |  New Zealand |
3 | 1 | 2/2 | Galle International Stadium, Galle | Home | 26 September 2024 | Won |
One Day International Centuries
| No. | Score | Against | Pos. | Inn. | S/R | Venue | H/A/N | Date | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 111 |
India |
3 | 2 | 94.06 | Harare Sports Club, Harare | N | 5 June 2010 | Won | |
| 2 | 105* |
England |
3 | 2 | 83.33 | Lord's, London | A | 3 July 2011 | Won | |
| 3 | 100* |
Ireland |
4 | 1 | 93.45 | Malahide Cricket Club Ground, Dublin | A | 16 June 2016 | Won | |
| 4 | 102 | Australia |
4 | 1 | 78.46 | Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla | H | 28 August 2016 | Lost |
Personal Life
When Dinesh was 14 years old, his family home was destroyed by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. He often visits Balapitiya to remember this sad event.
Dinesh has a younger brother named Kamesh Nirmal, who is also a cricketer. Kamesh has also scored centuries in school cricket, following in his brother's footsteps.
Dinesh Chandimal married his partner, Ishika Jayasekara, on 1 May 2015 in Colombo. In October 2020, he became a Major in the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.
