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COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan said on Wednesday he had ditched his blond streaks as well as his earring to present a more sober image in his new role as national captain.
The 34-year-old has dyed his blond highlights back to black and removed his earring after selectors gave him the captaincy following the resignation of Kumar Sangakkara after the team’s runners-up spot at the World Cup.
“Times have changed. I pierced my ear when my daughter cried when her ears were being pierced,” he said during a brief two-day visit to Colombo from Indian Premier League duties.
Dilshan plays for IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“Now I don’t see a need to wear the earring. The same with my hair. It was fashionable then for me, it’s not so now,” he said while his actress wife Manjula Thilini smiled sitting in the audience.
Dilshan, famous for his signature scoop shot, said he hoped to continue his aggressive batting style when he leads the team on next month’s tour of England.
“I’m a bit aggressive. Perhaps I will sometimes change my style a bit. But I might play with it (aggressiveness) even as a captain,” the opening batsman said.
“Captaincy is a challenging role for me. It’s a dream come true. I never expected it,” said the father of two.
“I want to give it my best shot. I have played for nearly 12 years. It’s been a very long journey to the top,” said Dilshan, who led Sri Lanka to a win in a triangular one-day series in Zimbabwe, which also included India.
He had an excellent World Cup, where he was the tournament’s highest scorer with 500 runs from nine matches at an average of 62.50.
