The West Indies are currently touring Sri Lanka; following the ODI series, where Sri Lanka registered their first ODI series victory in sixteen years by white-washing the West Indies 3-0, heading into the 3rd and final T20I, the series was tied at one each. In the third T20I between Sri Lanka and West Indies, the Lankan skipper, Chamari Athapaththu, added one more record to her name by becoming the fourth player to score 3000 runs and scalp 50 wickets.
Earlier in the series, Chamari also scalped her 50th wicket during the first match, in which she claimed her best bowling figures by taking a four-fer. She had completed the landmark of 1000 runs in the shorter format in her 49th innings in which she also became the first Sri Lankan batter to do so, which came during the ICC 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup against South Africa. Notably, it took only 46 innings to amass the next 1000 runs, completing 2000 T20I runs in 2022 against India during Sri Lanka’s home series against India in her 95th innings. Now, the left-handed batter has 3022 runs in 134 matches, with ten fifties and two hundreds to her name, at an average of 23. She has also claimed 53 wickets in the format.
2024 continues to be a dream year for the Lankan skipper. Earlier, she led her side to their first-ever series win against the Proteas in South Africa in which she scored an unbeaten 195 runs against South Africa, leading Sri Lanka to the highest-ever successful run chase in women’s ODIs, surpassing 300 runs, followed by winning the T20 World Cup qualifiers, and will now eye for an Asia Cup triumph at home.
In the 3rd T20I, in her knock of 38 runs, she edged past 3000 T20I runs and joins the exclusive club of players with more than 3000 runs and 50 wickets in the T20I format.
Players to score 3000 T20I runs and take 50 T20I wickets:
Suzie Bates – 4231 runs & 58 wickets
Stafanie Taylor – 3305 runs & 98 wickets
Sophie Devine – 3184 runs & 117 wickets
Chamari Athapaththu – 3003 runs & 53 wickets