Good preparation gives us confidence going into Women’s T20 WC: Athapaththu

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Captains’ Carnival (from left): Katherine Bryce (Scotland), Gaby Lewis (Ireland), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Babette de Leede (Netherlands), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Melie Kerr (New Zealand), Fatima Sana (Pakistan), Nigar Sultana (Bangladesh), Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Sophie Molineux (Australia) and Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) pose with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Captains’ Carnival at Waterloo Bridge. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup starts on 12 June when England face Sri Lanka at Edgbaston

“No matter what stage of your career you are at, a World Cup is hugely exciting and I am extremely happy to get the opportunity to lead my country in yet another ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” said Sri Lanka Women’s T20 Captain Chamari Athapaththu.

“The women’s game is on a massive growth curve and this will help make this latest edition even more interesting,” she said.

“From the time I came into playing international cricket and up to now, the growth in women’s cricket has been marvellous to see. I can vividly remember the first World Cup I played in 2009 as a 19-year-old, and to go from that point to where the game is now has been brilliant. And what’s more, this is only going to keep going in one direction.

“Our preparations have been going well. We have won the last two T20I series we played against West Indies and Bangladesh, both away series, which has given our girls a huge confidence booster and some time in the middle.

“We also did our training at Pallekele, which has helped us to adapt to the conditions that we will get in England.

“I feel we have a well-balanced squad for this competition. Our top order has worked together for a while and has gained a lot of T20I experience. Hasini Perera has started to deliver around her experience, Harshitha Samarawickrama brings in the solidity, we have a new promising batter Imesha Dulani, she is one to watch, and then Nilakshika Silva brings experience to the middle. We also have a nice blend of youth and experience in the bowling unit, and we are excited to get started in the tournament.

“We have been winning games during the last two-year period, during which time we have introduced some younger players to the side in order to improve our depth. Gradually, we are beginning to see our bench strength showing some promise, and this is a result of the work which has gone into developing the game at various levels.

“Whether it is improving our school cricket, district, provincial, and Under-19 National Cricket or Emerging and ‘A’ teams, the results are starting to show. The competition to get into the national side is increasing, which is great news and will only benefit us through this World Cup and those in the future.

“My favourite part of any World Cup is representing my nation and leading a team who wants to do well for the country. As well as that, there is the chance to interact with players from all countries at one platform and to witness a highly competitive environment, where every player and every team is competing hard to deliver results for their nation.

“The T20 format is playing a massive role in the development of the women’s game and will continue to do more in the coming years. A lot of countries are still getting into the game, and playing the longer format at the very inception can be challenging. Having a short and quick game like T20 is an ideal platform to promote the women’s game and we cannot wait to play our part in doing that over the coming weeks.” – [ICC]

Athapaththu shines as Sri Lanka make a statement

• Beat Pakistan in Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up match

Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne during their opening partnership of 159	Chethana Vimukthi took four Pakistan wickets for 31

Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu made a statement of intent by blasting 94 as her side beat Pakistan by nine wickets in an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match played at Derby on Saturday.

Pakistan batted first and started well, with Muneeba Ali (36 off 21 balls, 5 fours) and Gull Feroza (26 off 23 balls, 3 fours) posting 60 for the opening wicket. Ali fell to Chethana Vimukthi, the first of four scalps for the Sri Lankan seamer, sparking a wobble which saw Pakistan slip to 105-6.

Skipper Fatima Sana’s 26-ball 37 (4 fours, 1 six) and Aliya Riaz’s (22 off 16, 3 fours) dragged them to 168-8, but Sri Lanka made light work of the chase.

Athapaththu fired 9 fours and 5 sixes in her sparkling 94 from 58 deliveries, falling with the job all but done. Her opening partner Vishmi Gunarathne contributed 63* off 50 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes), putting on an opening stand of 159 off 104 balls as Sri Lanka eased home with nine balls to spare.

Sri Lanka play the Netherlands in another warm-up match at the same venue tomorrow.

Scores: 

Pakistan Women 168-8 (20) (Muneeba Ali 36, Gull Feroza 26, Fatima Sana 37, Aliya Riaz 22, Chethana Vimukthi 4/31)

Sri Lanka Women 169-1 (18.4) (Vishmi Gunaratne 63*, Chamari Athapaththu 94)