Nuwan Kulasekara announces retirement from international cricket with immediate effect

Kulasekara made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka against England at home, aged 21. He then went on to play 184 matches in total, picking up 199 wickets at a highly impressive economy rate of 4.90. However, he did not find the same success in the longest format of the game. Kulasekara quit Test cricket in 2016, after only playing in 21 Test matches.

His ability to swing the ball both ways, and fire in accurate yorkers at the death, made him a prime weapon in the shorter versions of the game. The right-arm pacer played 58 T20Is and finished with 66 wickets, and won the T20 World Cup in 2014. 

In the 50-over version, Kulasekara rose to the No.1 spot in 2008, and played two successive World Cup finals for Sri Lanka, finishing with runners-up medals on both occasions. Perhaps, the 2011 final will go down in his career as one of his worst performances. Kulasekara conceded 64 runs in just over eight overs. But, the moment cricket fans will truly remember is the six that the then Indian captain MS Dhoni hit off Kulasekara to seal the trophy for India.