Tillakaratne Dilshan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tillakaratne Dilshan

Personal information
Full name	Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan
Born	(1976-10-14) 14 October 1976 (age 48) Kalutara, Sri Lanka
Nickname	TM, Dilee, Mr. Pallekele
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off spin
Role	All Rounder and Wicketkeeper
Relations	Tillakaratne Sampath (brother)
International information
National side	Sri Lanka (1999–2016)
Test debut (cap 79)	18 November 1999 v Zimbabwe
Last Test	16 March 2013 v Bangladesh
ODI debut (cap 102)	11 December 1999 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	28 August 2016 v Australia
ODI shirt no.	23
T20I debut (cap 2)	15 June 2006 v England
Last T20I	9 September 2016 v Australia
T20I shirt no.	23
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1996–1998	Kalutara Town Club
1997–1998	Singha Sports Club
1998–2000	Sebastianites C&AC
2000	Bloomfield C&AC
2007–2016	Basnahira South
2008–2010	Delhi Daredevils
2010	Northern Districts
2011–2013	Royal Challengers Bangalore
2012	Basnahira Cricket Dundee
2013	Dhaka Gladiators
2013–2014	Tamil Union C&AC
2014	Sydney Thunder
2014	Surrey
2015	Derbyshire
2015	Guyana Amazon Warriors
2015	Chittagong Vikings
2017	Peshawar Zalmi
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 87 330 80 233 Runs scored 5,492 10,290 1,889 13,979 Batting average 40.98 39.27 28.19 38.8 100s/50s 16/23 22/47 1/13 38/59 Top score 193 161* 104* 200* Balls bowled 3,385 5,880 258 6,501 Wickets 39 106 9 90 Bowling average 43.87 45.07 29.66 36.16 5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 1 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 4/10 4/4 3/16 5/49 Catches/stumpings 88/– 123/1 31/2 356/23
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Sri Lanka ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 2007 West-Indies Runner-up 2011 India–Bangladesh–Sri Lanka ICC T20 World Cup Winner 2014 Bangladesh Runner-up 2009 England Runner-up 2012 Sri Lanka
Source: ESPNricinfo, 9 September 2016

Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan (born October 14, 1976), also known as TM Dilshan, is a famous former cricketer from Sri Lanka. He was also a captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. Many people think he is one of the most creative and skilled players in cricket history.

Dilshan was a true all-rounder, meaning he was great at all parts of the game. He could bat, bowl, field, and even keep wicket. He was an aggressive right-handed batsman who invented a special shot called the "Dilscoop," where he hits the ball over the wicket-keeper's head.

He was a key player on the Sri Lankan team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He also helped his team reach the finals of four other World Cups. Dilshan is one of the few players in the world to score over 10,000 runs in One Day International (ODI) matches. He was also the first player to score a century in all three forms of international cricket (Test, ODI, and T20I) as a captain.

Early Life and Career

Dilshan was born in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. He was born into a family with a Muslim father and a Sinhalese mother. At age 16, he chose to follow Buddhism, his mother's religion. He started playing cricket as a teenager at Kalutara Vidyalaya school.

He began his international career in 1999, playing against Zimbabwe. In his second Test match, he scored an amazing 163 runs. This showed everyone how talented he was. At first, he batted in the middle of the order. But when he became an opening batsman, his career took off. He became one of the best players in the world, scoring most of his centuries as an opener.

Rise to Stardom

Dilshan became famous for his exciting and attacking style of batting. He was especially good in limited-overs cricket, like ODIs and T20Is. His most famous creation is the Dilscoop, a shot he perfected during the Indian Premier League in 2009. This clever shot surprised bowlers and delighted fans.

2011 Cricket World Cup

The 2011 Cricket World Cup was a huge moment for Dilshan. He was the top run-scorer of the entire tournament, with 500 runs. He scored two centuries, including one against England in the quarter-final. His amazing performance helped Sri Lanka reach the final. Because of his success, he was named to the 'Team of the Tournament' by the ICC.

Dilshan playing against England in 2011

Captain of Sri Lanka

After the 2011 World Cup, Dilshan became the captain of the Sri Lankan team. It was a tough job because many experienced players were retiring. Even though the team struggled, Dilshan led by example. He scored a brilliant 193 runs against England at Lord's cricket ground in London. This is still the highest score by a Sri Lankan player at that famous venue.

During his time as captain, he became the fifth player in history to score a century in all three formats of the game. He scored an incredible 104 runs from just 57 balls in a T20I match against Australia. He gave up the captaincy in 2012 but continued to be a star player for Sri Lanka.

Later Career and Records

Dilshan continued to break records throughout his career. In 2013, he retired from Test cricket after playing 87 matches and scoring over 5,400 runs. He wanted to focus on ODI and T20I cricket.

Tillakaratne Dilshan batting at Lord's 2011

In 2014, during a match, another player made comments to Dilshan about his religion. The player was officially warned by the Pakistan Cricket Board for his words.

2015 Cricket World Cup

In the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Dilshan scored his highest ever ODI score of 161 not out against Bangladesh. During another match against Australia, he hit six fours in a single over, which was a World Cup first.

After the World Cup, he passed 10,000 runs in ODI cricket, joining a small group of legendary players. He was also the highest run-scorer in T20I cricket for Sri Lanka.

TM Dilshan on his way to his 18th ODI century

Retirement from Cricket

In August 2016, Dilshan announced he would retire from all international cricket. He played his last ODI on August 28 and his last T20I on September 9, 2016. Fans and players from around the world thanked him for his amazing career. He ended his career as one of the greatest cricketers Sri Lanka has ever produced.

Dilshan in his last ODI

Life After Cricket

After retiring, Dilshan has stayed busy. He has been involved in charity work, helping with a government project to fight kidney disease. He has also shown an interest in politics, joining the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party.

Dilshan has also explored acting and music. He appeared in a few television shows and released a song with his wife. He even owns a small hotel in Sri Lanka.

Personal Life

Dilshan was married before and has a son from that marriage. He is now married to Sri Lankan actress Manjula Thilini. Together, they have four children: two daughters and two sons. His brother, Tillakaratne Sampath, is also a first-class cricketer.

Major Achievements

• First player to score a century in all three formats (Test, ODI, T20I) as a captain.
• Fourth Sri Lankan to score 10,000 ODI runs.
• Top run-scorer in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
• Inventor of the famous Dilscoop shot.
• Winner of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 with Sri Lanka.
• Named to the ICC ODI Team of the Year four times (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015).

See also

In Spanish: Tillakaratne Dilshan para niños