‘Perfect individual to lead team from top of batting order’ - Dasun Shanaka lauds Dimuth Karunaratne for ton against Ireland

Sri Lanka recently breezed past Ireland in the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifiers. Both sides faced each other in the 15th ODI of the competition, and a valiant performance by both the batters and the bowlers helped the side win the game and move up to first place in the points table of their group.

After their sensational win, Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka came forward to reflect on the side’s performance. It is worth noting that Shanaka was dismissed for just five runs in seven balls in the first innings. 

Speaking after the match, Shanaka opined that Sri Lanka could have performed better and that his aggressive approach while taking the strike did not yield the desired results for him and the team. Notching up 325 runs in the first innings, Sri Lanka bundled Ireland out for just 192 runs and won the game by 133 runs. 

"Everything is going in the right direction. We could have performed better with the bat towards the end. Perhaps the aggressive batting from myself and Wanindu didn't yield the desired results in the latter part of the game," Shanaka was quoted as saying by IndiaToday. 

Furthermore, the 31-year-old also lauded the performance of Dimuth Karunaratne, who scored a brilliant century against Ireland, scoring 103 runs in as many deliveries. Shanaka opined that Karunaratne is the perfect player to lead the team from the top.

"It is crucial for us to rise to the occasion in such circumstances. During his captaincy and participation in the ODI series, there was different team composition. He possesses extensive experience, having played ODI and Test cricket for numerous years. He is the perfect individual to lead the team from the top of the batting order," Shanaka said. 

Leading their group, Sri Lanka are pushing a strong case for their World Cup qualifications. For their next assignment, they take on Scotland in the 19th game of the tournament on Tuesday, June 27. Scotland are currently level on points with Sri Lanka in Group B; however, the side is placed second due to their net run rate.