Talk about consistency, class, and precision. Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu possesses all of these. The Sri Lankan skipper is known for her immaculate batting abilities. Playing with style in the power play and aggressing in the latter overs, she’s got it all instilled in her. With a mammoth 3088 runs in ODI’s at an average of 34.3 and 2402 runs in T20I’s she remains a seasoned batter in the Lankan dugout.
Recently she sent the records tumbling as she holds the record for top 10 high scores for a Sri Lankan batter in Women’s ODI’s. With eight of them being 100 plus scores. Her illustrious hundreds are carved with the utmost class. The leather is seen flying off the willow like a tracer bullet.
Ever since she amassed her highest score of 178* against the Aussies in the 2017 world cup, a magnificent foundation has been laid on which she is treading past all the hurdles. The 178 was a testament to her abilities. Showered with 22 fours and 6 sixes, it was close to being an unrealistic inning studded with sheer brilliance.
Followed by her highest scores are 140* against the White Ferns, 115 vs India, 111 vs White Ferns, and 108 vs White Ferns she’s been a force to reckon with. The over-dependability for the Lankan team over her has yielded the best out of her willow.
The skipper had a prolific run in the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand where she whacked 248 runs in the three-match ODI series, including two unbeaten hundreds. Lanka comprehensively beat New Zealand and claimed the ODI series. The 3rd ODI saw a record-breaking partnership between her and Nilakshi de Silva where they stitched together 190 for the third wicket.
From 6/2 to 196/2
We have witnessed one of the best ODI run-chases in the history of women's cricket. #CricketTwitter 📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/41cbYbi0pY
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 3, 2023
As time has gone by Chamari has fermented like a fine wine. Each failure has made her stronger and every inch of success has kept her grounded with respect for the game. As the years go by, the cricketing fraternity will look up to Chamari as one of the greatest ever to have taken guard on the 22-yard strip.
