Sri Lanka Women’s team skipper Chamari Athapaththu has been duly rewarded for her exceptional year with the bat in ODIs. The Sri Lanka top-order batter displayed some of the best performances with the bat and as captain, notably leading the side to a first bilateral series win over New Zealand. Chamari Athapaththu showcased exceptional skills and leadership throughout 2023. She has been excellent as a skipper as well as a batter for Sri Lanka.
Chamari Athapaththu started her 2023 as the Sri Lankan skipper and clinched a 1-0 win in a rain-affected series over Bangladesh. With the first two matches not producing a result due to rain, the final game turned into a series decider. In a 30-over-a-side game, the Athapaththu smashed 64 off 60 balls to take Sri Lanka to 186. Her innings included six fours and four sixes. She removed Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana with the ball to put her side With the ball.
The best performance for Chamari Athapaththu came against New Zealand where Sri Lanka recorded their first-ever victory against the White Ferns in a bilateral series where they beat New Zealand 2-1. The Sri Lankan skipper starred in both victories with a couple of fiery centuries that helped Sri Lanka blow away New Zealand. Her 108* and 140* came in pressure chases and on both occasions, the opener was unbeaten at the crease guiding her team to victory.
Chamari Athapaththu Was Phenomenal With The Bat In ODIs In 2023
The significance of Chamari in the team became even more evident during the series against England. Sri Lanka suffered a 2-0 defeat against England in an away series. The defeat was largely due to the lean patch suffered by the 33-year-old batter. However, Athapaththu brought her A-game in the crunch series decider against New Zealand with a scintillating and unbeaten 140 to take Sri Lanka to a historic victory.
Sri Lanka was given a target of 196 to chase in 29 overs and they found themselves in a precarious situation early on at 4/2 within the first four overs. Chamari Athapaththu took an aggressive approach to the challenging situation, matching New Zealand’s fire with her own. In a remarkable turnaround, Sri Lanka reached 60 after 10 overs.
With Nilakshika Silva solid at one end, Chamari Athapaththu raced to her fifty off just 31 balls. It took her only 29 more balls to reach her century. She completed her century in just 60 deliveries which is the fourth-fastest in Women’s ODI history and the fastest by a Sri Lankan Women’s cricketer. The pair of Athapaththu and Nilakshika added 190 runs which is the highest partnership for Sri Lanka in Women’s ODIs.
Chamari Athapaththu’s innings helped Sri Lanka chase the target with eight wickets and 13 deliveries to spare. The Sri Lankan skipper has been one of the greatest batters in Women’s ODI and she has always delivered whenever the team required her services. She created history by becoming the first-ever Sri Lanka Women’s skipper to win a bilateral series against New Zealand. Chamari Athapaththu is the ICC ODI Women’s Cricketer Of The Year in 2023 and she thoroughly deserved the award by amassing 415 runs in eight innings.
