Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu bags yet another monumental milestone in her illustrious career. The 35-year-old celebrated all-rounder completes an astonishing 4,000 runs in Women’s ODIs, becoming the first-ever Sri Lankan woman to reach the landmark.
She got to the landmark, in style, as she smashed a boundary in the 2nd over of the innings, bowled by Nishita Akter, though it wasn’t as convincing as she would’ve liked, coming off the inside edge and racing away to the boundary. She looked threatening as she was growing in confidence towards the end of the power play. However, just when it looked like she was switching her beast mode on, she was trapped on the pads by the leg-spinner Rabeya Khan, as the ball turned past the inside edge in the 13th over of the innings to keep her four runs short (46 off 43 balls) of her 2nd half-century in the ongoing edition of the tournament.
Already a trailblazer for Sri Lankan women’s cricket, Athapaththu also became the nation’s most capped female cricketer in the ODI format as she led her side into their ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 fixture against South Africa, headed by Laura Wolvaardt, on 17th October 2025. They suffered a 10-wicket hammering in a rain-curtailed contest. It’s more than just a statistic; it’s a defining chapter in the story of a cricketer who has carried her country’s batting hopes on her shoulders for over a decade.
Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign so far has been far from ideal. The Chamari Athapaththu-led side currently sits 7th on the points table, with just two points from four games, both coming from washed-out fixtures, against Australia on 4th October in Colombo and New Zealand on 14th October in another rain-marred contest. Their search for a first win continues as they prepare to defend their total of 203 against Bangladesh, led by skipper Nigar Sultana Joty, in what is their sixth game of the tournament.
Amidst the interruptions and setbacks, Athapaththu has been the lone pillar of consistency with the bat. In the ongoing 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from 30th September to 2nd November, she has scored 168 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 74.33 and an average of 33.60, including a vital half-century. Her recent knock of 53 (72 balls) against New Zealand in a match abandoned after the first innings further reaffirmed her enduring class. Earlier in the tournament, she made 43 (47) against India and 15 (39) against England, showing glimpses of form and determination despite tough conditions.
Chamari Athapaththu’s World Cup record stands as a testament to her longevity and brilliance. Since making her tournament debut on 1st February 2013 against England at the Brabourne Stadium, she has accumulated 677 runs at an average of 37.61 and a strike rate of 75.55, featuring five half-centuries and one century over 19 innings. Her World Cup journey began with a match-winning 62 (72) in a nail-biting one-wicket victory over England, an innings still fondly remembered in Sri Lankan cricket folklore. Over the years, she has shouldered the team’s batting line-up, inspiring emerging players while keeping Sri Lanka afloat in world events.
From her debut in April 2010 against the West Indies at Basseterre to her rise as one of the most destructive left-handed batters in world cricket, Athapaththu’s career has been one of passion, perseverance, and power. In 120 ODIs, she has scored 4,045 runs at an average of 35.17 and a strike rate of 75.31, including 20 fifties and 9 centuries, numbers that define excellence across eras.
Her finest hour came on 17th April 2024, at Potchefstroom, where she produced an iconic unbeaten 195* (139 balls) to power Sri Lanka’s stunning six-wicket victory over South Africa in a run chase of 302. The innings, peppered with 26 boundaries and 5 sixes, remains an all-time classic, showcasing her audacious stroke play and mental toughness. That game also witnessed South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt crafting a magnificent 184* (147), an unforgettable duel between two batting leaders of their nations. Athapaththu’s all-round brilliance earned her the Player of the Match, while Wolvaardt took home the Player of the Series with 335 runs.
As Sri Lanka braces for yet another stern test, all eyes will be on Chamari Athapaththu to see whether she can inspire her side to register their first win in the tournament, defending a total of 203. Ahead of this ongoing clash against the Nigar Sultana Joty-led side, a single run stood between her and another slice of cricketing history, and she did it in style, becoming Sri Lanka’s first woman to reach 4,000 ODI runs. Milestone aside, her achievement symbolises resilience and leadership through eras of transformation in women’s cricket on the island.
No matter the result in the ongoing clash, Chamari Athapaththu’s name will remain etched as a pioneer who redefined what was possible for Sri Lankan women in the international arena, a legacy built on belief, brilliance, and boundless inspiration.
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