Sri Lanka all-rounder Kaveesha Dilhari has been recognised for her excellent performances after being named the Women’s T20 International Best Bowler of 2025 at the Sri Lanka Cricket Awards 2025. The award is a reward for the consistency she showed throughout the year with the ball. Time and again, she delivered important breakthroughs and kept opposition batters under pressure during crucial stages of matches. While Sri Lanka had several players who impressed during the season, Dilhari stood out because of her ability to produce strong performances match after match. This latest honour is another important achievement in her steadily growing international career.
Dilhari enjoyed an impressive year with the ball in Women’s T20 Internationals and proved to be one of Sri Lanka’s most dependable bowlers. She played eight WT20Is during 2025 and finished the year with eight wickets at a bowling average of 21.75. Her best bowling figures of 2/11 reflected the control and discipline she brought to Sri Lanka’s attack. Although she did not register a five-wicket haul, she consistently picked up key wickets while maintaining pressure on opposition batters. Those steady performances across the year played a major role in helping her earn the Women’s T20 International Best Bowler award.
One of Dilhari’s biggest strengths is her ability to bowl in every phase of a T20 innings. Whether she was handed the new ball, asked to bowl through the middle overs or trusted with difficult overs towards the end of an innings, she remained calm and executed her plans well. She regularly slowed the scoring rate, forced batters into mistakes and created wicket-taking opportunities for Sri Lanka. Instead of depending on one outstanding spell, she built her success through consistent performances across the season. That reliability made her one of the first names in Sri Lanka’s bowling attack throughout 2025.
While the award recognised her bowling performances, Dilhari also made useful contributions with the bat whenever the team needed her. During 2025, she scored 82 runs in eight WT20Is at an average of 11.71, with a highest score of 20. Those numbers may not appear huge, but several of those runs came during important situations when Sri Lanka needed support from the lower middle order. Her willingness to contribute in both departments once again highlighted her value as a genuine all-round cricketer. Even when she was not taking wickets, she continued to help her team in different ways.
Dilhari’s overall Women’s T20 International career also highlights the experience she has built over the years. She has now represented Sri Lanka in 88 WT20Is, scoring 749 runs at an average of 14.68. With the ball, she has taken 76 wickets at an impressive bowling average of 21.82, while her best bowling figures remain 4/13. Those numbers show that she has developed into one of Sri Lanka’s most dependable all-rounders in the shortest format. Her ability to contribute with both bat and ball continues to make her an important player for the national team.
Winning the Women’s T20 International Best Bowler of 2025 award is a fitting reward for the hard work Dilhari put in throughout the season. The honour recognises not just one memorable performance but the consistency she maintained over the entire year. She repeatedly stepped up whenever Sri Lanka needed wickets and became one of the leaders of the bowling attack. Awards like these are earned through regular performances over a long period, and Dilhari’s efforts during 2025 fully justified her selection. It is another proud moment in what continues to be a successful international career.
Looking ahead, Dilhari will be hoping to carry this confidence into future international tournaments and bilateral series. Sri Lanka will once again depend on her ability to deliver with the ball while also providing valuable support with the bat whenever required. As women’s cricket in Sri Lanka continues to grow, Dilhari remains one of the team’s most reliable match-winners. This latest recognition not only celebrates her excellent performances during 2025, but also shows the important role she continues to play in Sri Lanka’s T20 International side. With more major tournaments on the horizon, she will be eager to build on this success and achieve even greater milestones.
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