Sri Lanka women’s captain Chamari Athapaththu etched her name in the record books on Sunday by becoming the first cricketer to represent her country in 150 Women’s T20I matches.
The landmark came during the fourth T20I of the five-match series against India Women, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
A stalwart of Sri Lankan cricket for over a decade, Athapaththu’s achievement underlines her longevity, consistency, and central role in shaping the women’s game in the island nation.
In Women’s T20I cricket, the 35-year-old has amassed 3,507 runs at an average of 25.23 and a strike rate of 109.97, including three centuries and 13 half-centuries.
She has also made valuable contributions with the ball, picking up 63 wickets at an average of 25.73 and an economy rate of 6.62, with a best performance of four wickets in an innings.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first against India, as they looked to halt the hosts’ dominant run in the series.
India Women and Sri Lanka Women have faced each other 29 times in T20I cricket. Out of these, the Women in Blue have secured 23 victories and suffered five defeats. One match between the two countries ended in a no-result.
In the ongoing five-match T20I series, India have an unbeaten 3-0 lead after clinching the opening game by eight wickets, the second by seven wickets and the third by eight wickets. The visitors will look to bounce back in the fourth T20I.
After winning the toss, Athapaththu said, “Chasing is a bit easier because of the dew. We have to execute our best cricket and try and score at least 140. That will be a good score. We have two changes, Malki Madara and Inoka Ranaweera rest today, Kawya Kavindi and Rashmika are in,” as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said, “We were looking to bat first today, we’re happy. Jemi is not playing because she is not well and Kranti is resting. Arundhati and Harleen are back. This is an ideal series to give everyone a chance. Glad it is all coming to plan. I am not putting any target in mind. Hopefully, we set a good total.”
Playing XI of both teams:
India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Vaishnavi Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shree Charani.
Sri Lanka Women: Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu(c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana(w), Malsha Shehani, Rashmika Sewwandi, Kawya Kavindi, Nimesha Madushani.
(With ANI Inputs)
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
