Prior to the WBBL 2023–24 season, WBBL team Sydney Thunder just announced the signing of Chamari Athapaththu, the women’s captain of Sri Lanka. Notably, Athapaththu was recently passed over for the same tournament’s international draft.
Her inclusion, nevertheless, comes after she was announced as Thunder’s replacement player from abroad. When it comes to participating in the WBBL, the 33-year-old has quite a bit of experience. The Sri Lankan captain has played for Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers, and he was even considered for retention by Renegades. However, they decided to keep Hayley Matthews and Harmanpreet Kaur.
Chamari Athapaththu will play with highly skilled players like Marizanne Kapp, Heather Knight, and Lauren Bell as a member of the Thunder roster. On October 22, at the North Sydney Oval, the team will play its season opener against the Sydney Sixers, with Knight serving as captain.
I’m grateful for all the help: Chamari Athapaththu
Following the news of her agreement, Athapaththu approached the stage to discuss her performances in Australia throughout the years, emphasize her track record there, and thank the audience for their ongoing support.
Athapaththu was quoted by cricket.com.au as saying, “Australia is where I’ve scored most of my international T20 runs away from home, including a century at North Sydney Oval. I appreciate all of the support so far and look forward to being in front of the fans. I plan to bring a Thunder-storm to the WBBL this summer.”
Athapaththu has been in great form for Sri Lanka in 2023, it should be noted. The captain, who is one of their greatest batters, will try to maintain her form in the forthcoming WBBL season as well. She would be a left-handed alternative, thus her arrival in Thunder’s lineup would also increase flexibility.
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