Former Sri Lankan Cricketer Gains Australian Citizenship

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Tilakaratne Dilshan has recently gained Australian citizenship, capturing attention with his transition. Currently residing in Australia with his wife, Manjula Thilini, and their four children, Dilshan's move was celebrated by local MP Jason Wood on Instagram. Wood expressed his delight at Dilshan's new citizenship and expressed hopes that Dilshan might consider playing for local teams in Australia. With this change in citizenship, Dilshan bids farewell to his Sri Lankan passport, now requiring a visa and an Australian passport for any visits to his homeland.

"Today's citizenship ceremony was made even more special with the attendance of Tillakaratne Dilshan, a former Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team" Wood took to Instagram to share the news.

Wood highlighted Dilshan's impressive cricketing achievements, including his prowess in run-chases in ODIs, his record-breaking performance in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and his contribution to Sri Lanka's victory in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He expressed hope that Dilshan would continue to contribute his talents to the local community by joining a local team, noting that Dilshan's daughter, Resandi, seems to be following in her father's footsteps.

Dilshan, renowned as one of the most influential all-rounders of his generation, played a significant role in Sri Lankan cricket. Across 330 ODIs, he accumulated 10,290 runs, while in 87 Test matches, he scored 5492 runs. Additionally, he contributed 1889 runs in 80 T20Is for Sri Lanka and claimed 154 wickets across formats. In his prime, Dilshan was considered one of the best batters in world cricket, carrying the mantle of the national team on numerous occasions.