Sangakkara To Retire After India Test Series In August

SYDNEY: Ace Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara said he will retire from Test cricket “by the end of August” whe Sri Lanka hosts India in a three-match series.

The 37-year-old wicketkeeper has already announced retirement from One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty-20 cricket.

He quit the shortest format after winning the World T20 2014. He will quit ODI cricket post the ongoing World Cup.

“There are Test matches in June and July, and I will be done by the end of August. A series or two in June and in August, and that’s it,” left-handed Sangakkara was quoted as saying by EspnCricinfo.

In 130 Tests, Sangakkara has 12,203 runs, which makes him the fifth highest scorer. Only Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Ricky Ponting (13,378), Jacques Kallis (13,289) and Rahul Dravid (13,288) are above him in the elite list.

Sangakkara has also scored 38 centuries and 51 half-centuries.

In the ongoing World Cup, Sangakkara has been in top form, hitting consecutive unbeaten tons leading into the Australia match.

The former captain said it was important for both him and the team to build momentum as the tournament progresses.

“I don’t know whether I am top of my game, I just bat according to situations. During the (preceding) New Zealand tour, it was the same thing, I didn’t have a good start in the first ODI but from the second it was just a case of building on runs,” said Sangakkara, a member of the team for past three World Cups.

“(For the team) it has gone pretty well up to now. Again a slow start, a bit shaky against Afghanistan, but pretty good in the last two games. It’s just a case of trying to ensure that we put up a good performance every time we go out and keep on improving.”

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