Dimuth Karunaratne to Captain Sri Lanka at the ICC World Cup 2019

Karunaratne, who last played an ODI in the previous edition of World Cup in England, has only played 17 ODIs.

(Photo: AP)

Sri Lanka Cricket appointed Dimuth Karunaratne as the ODI captain to lead the team in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England.

Karunaratne, who last played an ODI in the previous edition of World Cup in England, has only played 17 ODIs and averages 15.83 with a high score of 60. His overall List A numbers are creditable, with an average 34.34 from 120 games, including six centuries.

But the opener has a more illustrious Test career and has grabbed the headlines in Test cricket in recent times, earning selection in the ICC's Test Team of the Year 2018.

This won’t be the first instance of him leading the side. He has captained Sri Lanka to a historic Test series whitewash in South Africa earlier this year, standing in for Dinesh Chandimal.

In the last few months, Sri Lanka’s ODI captaincy has exchanged hands frequently. Their last four series have seen them cycle through three different skippers, with all of Angelo Mathews, Chandimal, and Lasith Malinga having been at the helm at some point.

Recently, Karunaratne was fined and reprimanded by Sri Lankan cricket board after a drink-driving incident, for which he also had his driving licence suspended.

Sri Lanka are yet to announce their World Cup preliminary squad.