Karunaratne had taken over the reigns in 2019 during a tumultuous period in Sri Lankan cricket, and with him, brought a sense of stability and calm to the dressing room. While results were mixed for the national side, captaincy did coincide with Karunaratne’s best period as a batter. His average of 49.86 as captain would prove to be significantly higher than his career average of 40.93. During this period, he also reached the summit of the Test batting rankings, as he proved a reliable operator for Sri Lanka at the top.
His replacement Dhananjaya too has been a mainstay in the national side, with 51 Tests under his belt, during which he has ten centuries and 13 fifties to his name. His first assignment will be against Afghanistan in a one-off Test starting on February 6.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo