"We arrive in a different zone": Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu ahead of T20 World Cup
Sep 20, 2024
New Delhi [India], September 20 : Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu feels that her team will arrive in the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in a "different zone" as they have beaten top sides en route to the marquee event in Abu Dhabi.
Sri Lanka are high in spirits after beating India in the Asia Cup final and lifting the title with a sensational performance.
"This time, we arrive in a different zone. Having beaten several top teams during the last 15-month period and winning the T20 Asia Cup, our team has come a long way in T20 cricket," Athapaththu said, as quoted from the ICC.
Sri Lanka lifted the Asia Cup title unbeaten in July and defeated India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh before lifting the title.
The opening batter believes that her team's hard work could come to fruition in the upcoming event. On the back of the current form, Sri Lanka will have a golden opportunity to make their mark on the world stage after the triumph in Asia.
"The upcoming World Cup is going to be crucial for us to make our mark on the world stage. For Sri Lanka and our team, it is a huge platform. We have taken part in many World Cups in the past, and each one is a golden opportunity for us.," she said.
"The Asia Cup was the best achievement within women's cricket for Sri Lanka so far. We remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeating Bangladesh in the first round, Pakistan in the semis and India in the final," she added.
Athapaththu also talked about Sri Lanka's squad for the Women's T20 World Cuo and feels they have youngsters who can win them the game.
"We have Harshitha (Samarawickrama), Vishmi (Gunaratne), and Kavisha (Dilhari), the youngsters, who can win games for us, while on the experienced side we have players like Nilakshi (de Silva) and (Anuksha) Sanjeewani, while on the bowling side, we have Inoshi (Priyadharshani), who is making waves in the rankings along with a few others."
Squad: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Anushka Sanjeewani, Harshitha Madhavi, Nilakshika de Silva, Inoka Ranaweera, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Sachini Nisansala, Vishmi Gunaratne, Udeshika Prabodhani, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana. Travelling reserve: Kaushini Nuthyangana.
