Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu Reflects on Series Loss and Future Goals

Chamari Athapaththu's Insights on Team Performance

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 30: Following a comprehensive 5-0 series defeat to India, Sri Lanka's captain, Chamari Athapaththu, expressed that the team is not currently at its peak performance, highlighting the need for enhancements in power-hitting and overall batting skills.

Despite the disappointing results, Athapaththu remains optimistic about the younger players' contributions and emphasized the importance of trusting their abilities and playing with freedom as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

“We are not showcasing our best cricket in this series, and there are definitely areas we need to work on, particularly in power-hitting and batting. However, there are positive aspects to take away, especially with some young players performing admirably in the middle order. We aim to build on these positives and strive for our best performance in the coming months,” Athapaththu stated after the match.

She also acknowledged that while senior players, including herself, are performing decently, they have yet to reach their full potential. “Some of the senior players like Inoka, Nilakshi, and Hasini are doing well, but I believe we can elevate our game further. The youngsters are seizing their opportunities and playing exceptionally well. We have a lot to consider before the World Cup, and we need to improve in several areas. I am hopeful we can deliver our best cricket during the tournament,” she added.

In the recent match, India secured victory by 15 runs. Chasing a target of 176, Sri Lanka managed to score 160 runs in their allotted 20 overs.

Although Sri Lanka showed improvement in their batting, it ultimately fell short. Athapaththu was dismissed early, but the partnership between Imesha Dulani and Hasini Perera, which yielded 79 runs for the second wicket, kept the team competitive.

However, losing wickets at crucial moments left Sri Lanka 16 runs short of the target. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur's impressive fifty, along with a crucial late innings contribution from Arundhati Reddy, helped India post a total of 175/7.

Reddy and Sneh Rana's partnership added a significant 33 runs off just 14 balls for the eighth wicket, which proved vital in reaching a challenging total. Reddy's explosive 20 runs in the final over against Malki Madara made a notable difference in the match.