Bhanuka Rajapaksa retires from international cricket

The 30-year-old, who has made 23 white-ball appearances for Sri Lanka, cited family obligations as the reason for his early retirement

Bhanuka Rajapaksa has retired from international cricket at the age of 30.

The top-order batter, who made 23 white-ball appearances for Sri Lanka, cited family obligations as the reason for his early retirement.

In a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket, Rajapaksa wrote: "I have very carefully considered my position as a player, husband and am taking this decision looking forward to fatherhood and associated familial obligations."

Rajapaksa made his international debut in a T20I against Pakistan in October 2019 and went on to score 320 runs at 26.66 in 18 T20Is.

^{Bhanuka Rajapaska has retired from international cricket (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)}

He made his highest international score in his second outing for Sri Lanka, scoring 77 runs from 48 balls in a 35-run victory over Pakistan.

He made ODI debut in 2021, scoring 89 runs – including one half-century – in five appearances.

His final international appearance came against West Indies in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Rajapaksa was ever-present for Sri Lanka during the tournament, scoring 155 runs at a strike rate of 143.51 and taking three catches.

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