In November 1999, Tillakaratne Dilshan made his cricket debut against Zimbabwe, showcasing glimpses of his talent with a score of nine runs. But he really came to the fore in the series' second test, where he scored an unbeaten 163 runs and earned the prestigious Player of the Match award. His greatest moment as a batsman came in 2011 at Lord's Cricket Ground, when he amassed an incredible 193 runs against England. 

Dilshan's adventure in One Day Internationals (ODIs) also started against Zimbabwe, where he scored 31 runs in his first-ever game. In 2006, he scored a remarkable unbeaten 117 runs in his maiden ODI century against the Netherlands, which enabled Sri Lanka to tie the then-record ODI total of 443 runs. His amazing century of 160 runs against India in 2009, which nearly sealed an incredible victory, is remembered as one of the most exciting chases in cricket history.

Widespread praise was bestowed onto Dilshan for his outstanding 2009 achievements, which also earned him recognitions like a place in the ICC's World ODI XI and selection to the 2009 T20I World Cup's "Team of the Tournament." Furthermore, ESPNcricinfo named his outstanding 96* against the West Indies one of the Best T20I Batting Performances.