Women’s cricket will be a part of the upcoming Commonwealth Games that will be played in July in England this year. Eight teams will participate in the Commonwealth Games, out of which seven have already qualified. There is just one place for which the Qualifiers will be played among five teams. The five teams that will lock horns against each other for that one spot are Bangladesh, Kenya, Malaysia, Scotland and Sri Lanka. The Qualifiers will see T20 matches being played. Malaysia will host the event between January 18 and January 24. All the five teams have announced their squads.
Here’s a look at Sri Lanka’s squad:
Chamari Atapattu (c), Harshitha Madavi (vc), Kavisha Dilhari, Ama Kanchana, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Sachini Nisansala, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Vishmi Gunaratne, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Anushka Sanjeewani, Tharika Sewwandi, Nilakshi de Silva, Prasadani Weerakkody
Chamari Atapattu:
She is the captain of Sri Lanka. She is an experienced all-rounder, who is a left-handed batter and a right arm off spinner. She made her T20I debut in 2009 and since then has featured in 85 matches, scoring 1646 runs in 83 innings and accounting for 26 wickets in 40 innings. She also has a century in T20I cricket. She is also an experienced captain having led her side in 39 T20Is.
Harshitha Madavi:
She is a left-handed middle order bat. She made her T20 international debut in 2016 against Ireland. Since then, she has represented Sri Lanka in 13 T20Is and has scored 119 runs. She is a good middle order bat and can hold the innings together.
Kavisha Dilhari:
She is a young right arm off spinner, who made her international debut for Sri Lanka in 2018 against India. She has accounted for four wickets in nine innings. With the bat, the right-handed batter has scored 63 runs in eight innings, including the best of 25 not out. She has a batting strike rate of more than 100.
Ama Kanchana:
She is a right-handed batter and a right arm pacer. She has featured in 30 T20Is between 2013 and 2021. She has scored 141 runs in 27 innings and has picked up nine wickets in 19 innings, including the best of 3-22.
Achini Kulasuriya:
She is a right arm seamer, who has played 10 T20Is for Sri Lanka since 2015. She has four wickets to her name, including the best of 2-19. If given the opportunity, she would like to showcase her talent and do well for her team.
Sugandika Kumari:
She is a left arm spinner, who has been representing Sri Lanka since 2015. She has featured in 37 T20Is. She has accounted for 24 wickets in 36 innings, including the best of 3-17.
Sachini Nisansala:
She is a right arm speedster. She is yet to make her international debut for Sri Lanka. She was a part of the warm-up match that Sri Lanka played against Malaysia on January 16. She bowled three overs and gave away 13 runs, without picking up any wicket.
Hasini Perera:
She is a left-handed top order bat. She can open the batting as well as come down at number three. With her batting flexibility, she provides value to the team. She has played 37 T20Is for Sri Lanka since her debut in 2014 against Bangladesh. She has scored 341 runs in 36 innings, including the best of 46 not out.
Udeshika Prabodhani:
The left arm seamer is the leader of Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. She is one of the most experienced players in the side with 73 T20Is under her belt. She has scalped 49 wickets in 71 innings, including the best of 3-16. She has been around at the international level since 2009.
Vishmi Gunaratne:
She is a right-handed batter and a right arm seamer. She is yet to make her international debut. To date (January 16, 2022), she has featured in a couple of matches, one against Malaysia and one against the USA. In the match against Malaysia, she opened the batting and scored 35 runs off 29 balls in a T20.
Oshadi Ranasinghe:
She is a bowling all-rounder, who is a right arm speedster and a left-handed batter. She has played 40 T20Is for Sri Lanka since 2011. She has accounted for 28 wickets in 39 innings, including the best of 3-33. She is more than a handy lower middle order bat. She has scored 220 runs in 32 innings, including the best of 34 not out.
Inoka Ranaweera:
She is one of the best spinners in the Sri Lankan team. With an experience of 43 T20Is, she is a genuine wicket-taker. She has scalped 41 wickets, including the best of 3-9. The wily spinner will have to spin a good web every time she gets the opportunity with the ball.
Anushka Sanjeewani:
She is a wicket-keeper and a right-handed batter. She has registered 340 runs in 26 T20I innings, including the best of 61. She has a healthy strike rate, which is upwards of 80. She is also safe behind the stumps.
Tharika Sewwandi:
She is a left arm quick, who is yet to play a T20I for Sri Lanka. She has featured in one ODI that was played in 2019 against South Africa. In that match, she bowled two overs and conceded 14 runs, without scalping any wicket.
Nilakshi de Silva:
She is an all-rounder, who is a right-handed batter and a right arm seamer. She has played 39 T20Is for Sri Lanka since her debut in 2013 against West Indies. She has mustered 254 runs in 33 innings, including the best of 35 not out and has accounted for 11 wickets in 19 innings, including the best of 3-13. She is a good fielder too.
Prasadani Weerakkody:
She is a wicket-keeper and a left-handed batter. She has featured in 27 T20Is for Sri Lanka since 2010. She has put together 303 runs in 26 innings, including the best of 48. She has accounted for 19 dismissals behind the stumps, including eight catches and 11 stumpings.
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.