Dilshan has a highest score of 96 not out in Twenty20 cricket

Sussex have confirmed that Sri Lanka international batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan will play Twenty20 cricket for the county this season.

Dilshan, 33, has become one of the most exciting and innovative one-day batsmen in international cricket.

He has an international T20 strike rate of 129, and was player of the series at last year's ICC World Twenty20.

Dilshan has become famous for his trademark flickshot directly over his head, known as the "Dilscoop".

He will join fellow overseas signings Yasir Arafat and Dwayne Smith, who helped Sussex win last summer's Twenty20 Cup en route to the Champions League in India.

Sussex's professional cricket manager Mark Robinson is confident that, in Dilshan, his club has secured the services of a genuine match-winner.

We want all our players to have genuine match-winning ability Sussex cricket manager Mark Robinson

"The recruitment of overseas players is becoming more complex as the international fixture list grows, including the possibility of staging major matches at neutral venues such as the UAE and USA," said Robinson.

"With Yasir Arafat likely to have Pakistan commitments and Dwayne Smith with the West Indies, the signing of one of the world's leading batsmen gives us some exciting options.

"We want our main players to have genuine match-winning ability - and we believe we have that with Dilshan, Yasir and Dwayne. With that bit of luck always required, I feel our 2010 squad can emulate our 2009 T20 success."

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