Dinesh Chandimal

Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal (Sinhalese: දිනේෂ් චන්දිමාල්; born 18 November 1989) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and a former limited over captain for Sri Lanka. A handy and agile right-handed batsman who currently is the wicket-keeper in all formats. He is currently the vice captain of all formats.
Chandimal was a key member of 2012 ICC World Twenty20 runner-up team and 2014 ICC World Twenty20 winning team. He led Sri Lanka in first group stage of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, until was suspended for slow over rate and subsequently lost the place in the team for the remainder of the tournament. Chandimal often appointed as the T20I captain when regular captain is not available.

Chandimal started his cricketing career as a teenager at his first school Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda. Later he moved to Ananda College, Colombo captaining the under-17 team. In 2008, he was appointed captain of the school's first eleven, which he led in 13 outright wins in a season, re-writing history in Sri Lankan school cricket. He was the first schoolboy cricketer to exceed 1,000 runs with an aggregate of 1,580, and won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award in 2009. After leaving school, he joined the Nondescripts Cricket Club.

He scored 64, 04, and 109 in his first three innings for Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI. He is an aggressive batsman who scored two centuries for his country's U-19s, which he vice-captained, and played for the Sri Lanka Cricket XI and Schools Invitation XI for List A and Twenty20 cricket.

He made his international debut during the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies, playing in Sri Lanka's group games against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the initial group stage and then playing against Australia in the "Super Eight" final series.

After also playing against New Zealand in a Twenty20 match in Florida, Chandimal was selected for an ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, where the two sides also played India. He made his debut against Zimbabwe, scoring an unbeaten 10 as his side cruised to a nine-wicket win and then registered his maiden international century by scoring 111 runs off 118 balls against India, an innings that helped his side both win the match (by six wickets) and knock India out of the tournament. He also became the youngest Sri Lankan to score an ODI century.

Chandimal made his Test debut for Sri Lanka in December 2011, in the second Test of the series against South Africa in Durban. He made half-centuries (58 and 54) in each of Sri Lanka's innings becoming the first Sri Lankan batsman to score half centuries in both innings on Test debut. This incidentally led Sri Lanka to their first Test win in South Africa.

In 2013 he was appointed captain of the Sri Lanka T20 side and also vice-captain of the country's one day international team. During the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, he was bought for $50,000 by the Rajasthan Royals, but didn't play in any of their matches in 2012. During the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, he stepped down from the captaincy after injury and bad performance and later Lasith Malinga appointed as the captain. Malinga was able to lead the team for their first ever Twenty20 champion title and this strengthen Malinga as the permanent captain of the Twenty20 team.

During 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, against Australia in Sydney, Chandimal scored 50 off 22 balls, was the fastest fifty before Angelo Mathews scored 20-ball fifty, by Sri Lankan batsman in Cricket world cup history, where Sri Lanka had a massive 377 target to chase. During the innings, he was retired hurt, and eventually Sri Lanka lost the match by 64 runs.

Chandimal was included to the test series with India as the permanent wicket-keeper and showed an excellent talent in the test level as well. In the first innings, he scored 59 runs but eventually Sri Lanka were all out for 183. In the second innings after India's huge 375 runs, Sri Lanka were all out for 367 runs courtesy of Chandimal's brilliant knock of unbeaten 162 runs. He was the star for the Sri Lankan innings with 16 fours and 4 sixes. Sri Lanka had a 175 lead and India were just ended with 112 runs and Sri Lanka won the match by 63 runs. Due to Chandimal's batting performance in the right time, he was adjudged as man of the match.

His third ODI century came after five years of delay, against Ireland on 16 June 2016.

Chandimal had a impressive run scoring throughout the England series in 2016 and then in Australia series at home. He scored five consecutive ODI half centuries, which equals most consecutive ODI fifties by a Sri Lankan with Jayasuriya, Sangakkara and Dilshan. He missed the Sri Lankan record, when he lbw by Adam Zampa on 48, just short of 2 runs for Chandimal's sixth consecutive fifty. Chandimal finished the England series with scores of 52, 62, 63 and 53 and in first ODI against Australia, he scored his fifth consecutive fifty with unbeaten 80.

Test centuries

Test centuries of Dinesh Chandimal
No	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Date	Result
[1]	116	6	Bangladesh	Galle, Sri Lanka	Galle International Stadium	9 March 2013	Drawn
[2]	102	7	Bangladesh	Colombo, Sri Lanka	R. Premadasa Stadium	16 March 2013	Won
[3]	100	12	Bangladesh	Chittagong, Bangladesh	ZAC Stadium	4 February 2014	Won
[4]	162*	19	India	Galle, Sri Lanka	Galle International Stadium	14 August 2015	Won
[5]	151	22	West Indies	Galle, Sri Lanka	Galle International Stadium	15 October 2015	Won
[6]	126	27	England	Chester-Le-Street, England	Riverside Ground	27 May 2016	Lost
[7]	132	31	Australia	Colombo, Sri Lanka	Sinhalese Sports Club Ground	14 August 2016	Won

One Day International centuries

One Day International centuries of Dinesh Chandimal
No	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Date	Result
[1]	111	2	India	Harare, Zimbabwe	Harare Sports Club	5 June 2010	Won
[2]	105*	6	England	London, England	Lord's Cricket Ground	3 July 2011	Won
[3]	100*	108	Ireland	Malahide, Ireland	The Village	16 June 2016	Won
[4]	102	117	Australia	Dambulla, Sri Lanka	Rangiri Dambulla Stadium	28 August 2016	Lost

• Dialog SLC Test Batsman of the Year 2015

Test Cricket – Man of the match awards

• In this table Ct., refers to the Catches and St. refers to the Stumping

#	Series	Season	Match Performance	Result
1	1st Test – India in Sri Lanka Test Series	2015	1st Innings – 59 (77 balls, 9x4) ; WK 1 Ct. 2nd Innings - 162* (169 balls, 19x4, 4x6) ; WK 1 St.	Sri Lanka Won by 63 runs

One Day Internationals - Man of the Match awards

S No	Opponent	Venue	Date	Match Performance	Result
1	India	Harare Sports Club, Harare	5 June 2010	111 (118 balls: 6x4, 5x6)	Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets.
2	England	Lord's, London	3 July 2011	105* (126 balls: 11x4, 2x6)	Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets.
3	Australia	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	2 March 2012	75 (84 balls: 3x4, 2x6)	Sri Lanka won by 9 runs.
4	South Africa	R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo	23 July 2013	43 (51 balls: 4x4, 0x6)	Sri Lanka won by 17 runs.
5	Pakistan	Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi	27 December 2013	64* (70 balls: 1x4, 1x6)	Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets.

On 26 December 2004, Dinesh was just a 14-year-old boy, his family and home was destroyed by Tsumani tragedy. He lost his house by this incident. He still frequents Galle, where they all devastated to memorize tragic incident.

Chandimal married his longtime partner Ishika Jayasekara on 1 May 2015 in Colombo