Sonal Dinusha has announced himself on the international stage in the most emphatic way possible, scoring back-to-back Test centuries against India in the space of two matches. The 25-year-old Sri Lankan left-hander followed up a maiden hundred in Galle with a fighting 103 in Colombo, and in doing so joined one of the most exclusive lists in Test cricket history. Here’s everything you need to know about Sonal Dinusha’s century-laden start to life against India.
Sonal Dinusha’s Century in the Colombo Test
On Day 4 of the 2nd Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Sonal Dinusha stood firm as Sri Lanka followed on, 213 runs behind India’s massive first-innings total of 503 for 9 declared. Batting at No. 7, Dinusha brought up his century in the 85th over with a pull off Prasidh Krishna and went on to make 103 off 162 balls, striking 8 fours and 3 sixes before he was caught behind off Saransh Jain’s bowling. It was a lone-hand effort in a losing cause – as ESPNcricinfo’s match report noted, the knock only delayed the inevitable with India firmly in control.
A Maiden Ton in Galle, Then a Fighting 84
Dinusha’s story with India actually began a week earlier at Galle, where Sri Lanka slipped to 90 for 5 in reply to India’s 462. Walking in under pressure, he added 146 crucial runs for the sixth wicket with Niroshan Dickwella and brought up his maiden Test century off 168 balls, hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes before falling to Ravindra Jadeja. India went on to win that match by 165 runs on the back of Manav Suthar’s ten-wicket haul, but Dinusha wasn’t finished – he came back in Sri Lanka’s second innings and top-scored again with a battling 84.
Sonal Dinusha’s Record-Breaking Numbers vs India
Add it up and Sonal Dinusha has now scored 100, 84, and 103 in his first three Test innings against India – three innings, three scores of 80 or more. That puts him in extremely rare company: only Everton Weekes and Zaheer Abbas had previously managed 80-plus in each of their first three Test innings against India, with Abbas achieving the feat 48 years earlier, in 1978.
The centuries in Galle and Colombo also mean Dinusha has hundreds in his first two Tests against India – a feat achieved by just a handful of batters in the sport’s history, including Everton Weekes, Garry Sobers, Zaheer Abbas, Duleep Mendis, Robin Smith, Gary Kirsten, and Jesse Ryder. Within Sri Lankan cricket specifically, he’s only the second batter after Duleep Mendis to pull off twin centuries in his first two Tests versus India, and the seventh Sri Lankan overall to score hundreds in consecutive Tests against the Indians, joining a list that includes Aravinda de Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Angelo Mathews.
Who Is Sonal Dinusha?
Born Gamage Sonal Dinusha on December 4, 2000, in Colombo, Dinusha is a left-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler who plays his domestic cricket for the Colombo Cricket Club. He was part of Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2020 U19 Cricket World Cup before working his way up through Sri Lanka A cricket, and made his Test debut in 2025. His performances against India this series have already made him one of the most talked-about young players in world cricket – see his full profile on Wikipedia for more background.
What’s Next for Sri Lanka
Despite Dinusha’s heroics, Sri Lanka find themselves under serious pressure in the ongoing India vs Sri Lanka Test series, having lost the 1st Test in Galle and been forced to follow on in the 2nd Test in Colombo. Dinusha wasn’t the only home batter to fight back this series – Pasindu Sooriyabandara’s defiant 80 alongside him in Colombo briefly threatened an Indian collapse, while at the other end Dhruv Jurel’s unbeaten century for India had already put the tourists in total command. Whether Dinusha can add a third century and cement his place as Sri Lanka’s next great batting hope remains one of the most exciting subplots left in this series.
Stay with KhelGossip for continuing coverage of Sonal Dinusha and the rest of the India vs Sri Lanka Test series.
