Batters in Spotlight: Athapaththu Rallies Sri Lanka for Series Revival in 3rd T20I

Chamari Athapaththu didn’t seem like someone who had recently endured consecutive heavy defeats in T20Is. Her constant smile belied the tough times at Visakhapatnam and highlighted the urgent need to regroup for the third T20I on Friday in Thiruvananthapuram against a formidable Indian team.

“We need to enhance our batting, particularly in the middle order and improve our game-finishing strategies as a unit,” the Sri Lankan captain noted. “Our power game is insufficient for this format.”

She expressed admiration for her Indian counterpart, Harmanpreet Kaur. “We are good friends,” Athapaththu said. “We discuss cricket and various other topics. I consider her one of the best leaders in cricket; she is the one who transformed Indian cricket. As an Asian, I am truly proud of her.”

Reflecting on her experience in the Women’s T20 Challenge, the precursor to the WPL, she added, “We shared the same dressing room when we played for Supernovas, so I have seen firsthand how she handles different situations and manages the dressing room dynamics.”

Published on Dec 25, 2025