The Sri Lankan team has been announced and there was hardly ever a doubt in anyone’s mind as to who would lead this Sri Lankan side. Chamari Atapattu will be leading Sri Lanka into the most important tournament of the year which is being counted as the most high octane event.
Now Sri Lanka has not been the team who has had a great run in T20I’s having won just 23 of their 69 T20I’s played thus far. The win percentage doesn’t make good storytelling but they do have some players who could occasionally just stun you with some unorthodox Sri Lankan bits that we are used to seeing so often from the Land from the South.
So here are the players who could grab some eyeballs:
#1 Chamari Atapattu
Captain Chamari Atapattu is the most experienced batter in this format for the Sri Lankan side and rightfully leads this team having played 81 T20I’s and scoring 1492 runs with a century to her name. The southpaw occasionally bowls right-arm medium pace and has also picked up 24 wickets in this format.
#2 Shashikala Siriwardene
At 35 years of age, Shashikala Siriwardene is the most experienced all-rounder in the entire tournament. The Right-handed batter has played 77 T20I’s and scored 1079 runs and also picked up 70 wickets with her off-breaks. She made her first international appearance for Sri Lanka in the year 2003 in March and will be completing 17 years in International cricket which is a humongous effort in itself.
#3 Udeshika Prabodhani
Left-arm pacer Prabodhani is a good addition to this Sri Lankan attack and gives a variety with her left arm angle that she creates. Having played 69 T20I’s Prabodhani has picked up 46 wickets and will be crucial in the Australian conditions when Sri Lanka takes the field.
#4 Dilani Manodara
At 37 years of age, Dilani might as well be the oldest player playing in this tournament and is also a backup wicketkeeper along with being a solid middle-order batter. In 62 T20I’s she has scored 752 runs with a half-century to her name.
#5 Sugandika Kumari
Left-arm orthodox spinner Sugandika is one of the most sought after bowlers in this line up having picked up 24 wickets in 34 games. Like most teams, Sri Lanka will also go in with a specialist left-arm spinner with Suganika in the side and it could well be a wicket-taking option down under.
So apart from a few experienced campaigners, Sri Lanka does not boast of any big names from the cricketing world which will take the audience by storm. But this team is in a rebuilding phase and there will be a few diamonds out from the mines in the coming days for sure.
Sri Lanka starts their campaign for the world cup with two warm-up games on the 16th & 18th of February against South Africa and England respectively and plays their first group stage game on the 22nd of February against New Zealand.
Sri Lanka Squad:
Chamari Atapattu (C), Harshitha Madavi, Anushka Sanjeewani, Hansima Karunaratne, Shashikala Siriwardene, Nilakshi De Silva, Ama Kanchana, Kavisha Dilhari, Udeshika Probodhani, Achini Kulasuriya, Hasini Perera, Sathya Sandeepani, Umesha Thimashini, Sugandika Kumari, Dilani Manodara
2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – Sri Lanka
Warm-ups
February 16: Sri Lanka v South Africa
February 18: Sri Lanka v England
Tournament
February 22: Sri Lanka v New Zealand
February 24: Sri Lanka v Australia
February 29: Sri Lanka v India
March 02: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh
March 5: Semi-final 1, SCG
March 5: Semi-final 2, SCG
March 8: Final, MCG
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