Snehasis Mukherjee in Dubai
Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka entered this ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with high expectations, especially after their triumph in the Asia Cup. But, as they prepare to face India on October 9 at the Dubai International Stadium in their third game, they have already suffered two consecutive defeats.
Both losses, against Pakistan and Australia, took place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. One of the main reasons for this has been the underwhelming performance of their captain, Athapaththu. Not only as a leader but also as a crucial batter, she has struggled so far. She scored 6 (9) against Pakistan and 3 (12) against Australia.
In the pre-match press conference on October 8, when asked about her recent dip in form, Athapaththu gave a thoughtful response on how she is reflecting on her game and looking forward to improving for the team.
“I am only questioning myself that why am I not able to play while others like Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt are scoring on the same track? So I need to play my best game tomorrow and in the next game. As a batter, I love this challenge,” she said. The Sri Lankan skipper also shared her mindset.
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“Against Pakistan, I hit two boundaries and thought the wicket was good. So while facing Fatima Sana, I went for the shot and got out. Then, in the second match, I thought the pitch was slow and would take some time. But I played that shot suddenly and got out. It happens in cricket, and what we can do is face a new challenge with a smile on our faces. Let’s see tomorrow,” she added.
Sri Lanka defeated Harmanpreet Kaur’s India in the Asia Cup final a few months ago. When asked if that win gives her team more confidence ahead of this clash, Athapaththu spoke about the Indian batters who could pose a threat.
“The win against India was in different conditions. So tomorrow is a new condition, a new match. I just hope my girls can play their best and fearless cricket,” she said. “I think players like Shafali (Verma), Smriti (Mandhana), and Richa (Ghosh) are struggling because of the low bounce and pace on the track. Jemimah Rodrigues has looked good compared to all of them and will be a key wicket tomorrow.
“Harmanpreet also scored some important runs in the last game. So we have our plans for them, and now we just need to execute those,” Athapaththu concluded, before leaving for the training session at the ICC Academy.
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