Dimuth Karunaratne slams his fourth consecutive ODI fifty: Key stats
Dimuth Karunaratne's purple patch in ODIs continued with another fine fifty against Oman in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers at the Queen Sports Club in Bulawayo. Notably, this is Karunaratne's fourth successive ODI fifty and second in the Qualifiers. His 51-ball 61* saw Sri Lanka win the match against Oman by 10 wickets. His knock was laced with eight boundaries. Here's more.
Karunaratne maintains his stellar consistency
After returning to Sri Lanka's ODI set up earlier this month. Karunaratne has exceeded expectations by smashing four consecutive fifties in this format. Against Oman, he was at his fluent best. He managed a 100-run partnership alongside Pathum Nissanka to help SL win the match by 10 wickets. It was a comfortable chase for the Lankan Lions as they got there in 15 overs.
Fourth successive fifty in ODI cricket
Karunaratne marked his return to the ODI squad in the series against Afghanistan. After getting out cheaply in the first match, he slammed two fifties in the second and final ODI. He continued that form in the World Cup Qualifiers by smashing a fifty in the first match against the UAE. Now he scored another fifty against Oman, making it four in a row.
A look at his ODI numbers
The 35-year-old opener made his debut in 2011 against England. But he has not been able to cement his place in the ODI format. Karunaratne has amassed 992 runs in 39 ODIs at an average of 32. His tally includes 10 fifties, while he is yet to score a hundred in this format. His highest score of 97 came against Australia in 2019.
Karunaratne's stunning run in 2023
The veteran opener has been superb for SL this year across all formats. Karunaratne has compiled 726 runs in 2023 from nine matches at an average of 80.66. He is the second-highest runscorer for SL in 2023 across all formats. Only Kusal Mendis is ahead of him with 963 runs from 20 matches. Karunaratne has scored seven fifties and two tons in 2023.
