1989 – Dinesh Chandimal is Born
Born today, Dinesh Chandimal would go on to make a striking entrance into international cricket. He scored 111 in his second ODI and followed it up with fifties in both innings of his first Test in Durban, helping Sri Lanka secure their first Test win in South Africa. Although a dip in form saw him dropped in 2012, he returned the following year and, at just 23, became Sri Lanka’s youngest-ever captain in T20Is. He later served as Angelo Mathews’ deputy in Tests and ODIs and celebrated with back-to-back Test hundreds against Bangladesh. Chandimal starred in Sri Lanka’s historic Test win at Headingley in 2015 and played a remarkable 162* off 168 balls against India in Galle the same year. As Test captain from 2017, he led Sri Lanka to a memorable 2-0 series win over Pakistan in the UAE, including a marathon 155 in Abu Dhabi. In June 2018, he was suspended for ball-tampering during a Test in St Lucia. In 2022, Chandimal became the first Sri Lankan to score a Test double-hundred against Australia in an innings victory at Galle.