Skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s All-round show seals T20I Whitewash with a 3-run win in a rain-curtailed 3rd T20I against Bangladesh.
The visitors, Sri Lanka, sealed the T20I series by winning the 2nd T20I by 21 runs. With the series fate sealed, the 3rd T20I turned into a potential dead rubber at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet, on 2nd May 2026. However, there was still a lot to play for in terms of fine-tuning their combinations for both sides ahead of the upcoming 10th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, hosted by England and Wales from 12th June to 5th July 2026.
The rain gods initially threatened to wash the game away, before showing some mercy, letting some sort of cricketing action to get underway. Due to persistent rains and the amount of time lost, the game was eventually reduced to a 9-overs-per-side contest. Both sides made one change each; Shanjida Akter Meghla replaced Sharmin Akhter for the home side, while Rashmika Sewwandi made her way into the side, replacing Kaushani Nuthyangana for Sri Lanka.
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu propel Sri Lanka to a commanding total
The Sri Lankan openers Imesha Dulani and skipper Chamari Athapaththu took full advantage of the opportunity to put the runs on the board, after skipper Nigar Sultana Joty won the toss and opted to bowl first in the final game of the series. The pair raced off the blocks with an impactful 43-run opening partnership. Sultana Khatun broke the stand as she cleaned up Imesha Dulani (19 off 10 balls) in the 4th over of the innings, providing the much-needed first breakthrough for Bangladesh.
In their attempt to maximise the scoring opportunities, Sri Lanka suffered a mini-collapse as they lost their next three wickets for just 10 runs. Kavisha Dilhari joined skipper Chamari Athapaththu at the crease, and the duo provided the finishing touches with a quick-fire 33-run partnership for the 5th wicket, which pushed them closer to the 100-run mark.
Sri Lanka ended up with a total of 87/6 in their quota of 9 overs. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu (41 off 27 balls) top-scored with the bat for Sri Lanka. Kavisha Dilhari (15 off 7 balls) chipped in with a handy cameo. Sultana Khatun (2-0-8-3) and Shanjida Akter Meghla (2-0-16-1) were the top performers with the ball for Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka completes a dominant whitewash
Chasing a stiff total of 85, the Bangladeshi batters Dilara Akter (9 off 5 balls), Juairiya Ferdous (15 off 11 balls), Sobhana Mostary (21 off 15 balls), and skipper Nigar Sultana Joty (13 off 9 balls) kept the fight on for the home side. However, they couldn’t get them over the line as they were restricted to 84/6, falling just 3 runs short of the target.
The 30-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, between Sobhana Mostary and Juairiya Ferdous, was the highest partnership of the run chase. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu (2-0-15-2), Sugandika Kumari (2-0-22-2), and Nimasha Meepage (2-0-16-1) were impressive with the ball for Sri Lanka. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu was awarded the Player of the Match for her decisive all-round impact, scoring 41 (27 balls) with the bat and returning with match figures (2-0-15-2) with the ball, as Sri Lanka completed a dominant whitewash in the T20I series.
Chamari Athapaththu claimed the Player of the Series honours as she ended as the leading run-scorer of the series with 115 runs at a strike rate of 122.34 and an average of 38.33 in three innings with the bat, and she also picked up 4 wickets at an average of 13.75 and an economy of 5.50 in three innings, ending as the leading wicket-taker for her side and the 2nd highest wicket-taker of the series.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.