Dimuth Karunaratne to play for Hampshire in 2019

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne will play for Hampshire in the 2019 English domestic season.

Karunaratne has signed a deal to be Hampshire's overseas player for the first half of the season, including County Championship and Royal London Cup matches.

Since being appointed captain in February amid a tumultuous time for Sri Lanka cricket, Karunaratne has led his side to a historic 2-0 Test series victory in South Africa.

Karunaratne said he was keen to build on Hampshire's successful 2018 season, in which they won the Royal London Cup and finished mid-table in Division One of the County Championship.

"It has always been my dream to play in the County Championship and I couldn't be happier for it to be at a county like Hampshire," Karunaratne said. "I am looking forward to continue building on the success from 2018 by playing an important role in Hampshire's future."

Karunaratne has scored 4074 runs from 60 Tests at 36.05, including eight centuries and 22 fifties since making his debut in 2012. He has also played 17 ODIs.

Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White said: "We're delighted to have Dimuth with us for the first half of the season and we're excited about what he brings to the group, both on and off the pitch.

"He's a high-class player and in recent months we've seen his quality, not only as an opening batsman at the top of the order, but also as a leader as part of Sri Lanka's recent historic series win in South Africa."