The Sri Lankan team is preparing for the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup2025. No Sri Lankan women’s team has ever made it to the semi-finals of an ICC tournament. Captain Chamari Athapaththubelieves that this time they can create historybefore she retires.
In Colombo, Athapaththu said she is confident of her team’s chances. “More than in the other tournaments, I’m pretty relaxed in this one. The youngsters have been performing — Harshitha Samarawickrama, VishmiGunaratne, and Kavisha Dilhari, are all batting well. So more than other times, I’m able to relax a bit,” Athapaththu said.
These young players showcased their talent during Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup win at home. Their success has given Athapaththu more time to focus on her own game. She also promised to be fearless in the first 10 overs.
“I’m going to be playing the game I play in the power play,” Athapaththu said. “Then, after that, the challenge is to figure out how I can change gears and do more damage. My one aim is to get Sri Lanka into the semi–finals. Before I retire, what I want is to take Sri Lanka to a semi-final. If we get there, we can figure out the next steps. But even getting there is big.”
Sri Lanka will be playing in the ODI World Cup after eight years. They were not part of the 2022 edition. “We’ve sacrificed a lot and worked really hard to get here. We’re in a good mental space. I’m hoping we can get a good start to the tournament,” Athapaththuconcluded.
Sri Lanka will face tough opponents in this tournament. They will play their first match against India in the World Cup opener on September 30 in Guwahati, then play against Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan in Colombo.
For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz