In a milestone that underscores her enduring legacy in women’s cricket, Chamari Athapaththu became the first Sri Lankan to play 150 T20Is and the eighth player overall to achieve this feat. The 35-year-old batting all-rounder and current Sri Lankan skipper marked the landmark during the 4th T20I of the ongoing five-match series against India at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on December 28, 2025.
Opening the chase of a daunting 222 alongside Hasini Perera, Athapaththu smashed her 14th T20I half-century (52 off 37 balls, with 3 boundaries and 3 sixes), while also conceding 30 runs without a wicket (in her 2-over spell with the ball), efforts that lit up Sri Lanka’s chase despite a 30-run defeat, handing India a commanding 4-0 series lead.
Athapaththu’s journey began on June 15, 2009, with a T20I debut against India at Taunton. Across 150 matches and 147 innings since, she has amassed 3,559 runs at a strike rate of 110.32 and an average of 25.42, featuring 14 half-centuries and 3 centuries. Her pinnacle batting knock arrived on July 22, 2024, against Malaysia in the Women’s Asia Cup at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, an explosive 119* off 69 balls (14 fours, 7 sixes) that propelled Sri Lanka to 184/4 and a 144-run victory, earning her Player of the Match honours.
With the ball, Athapaththu has claimed 63 wickets in 91 innings at an average of 26.20 and an economy of 6.69, including a four-wicket haul. Her standout bowling performance came on June 24, 2024, against West Indies at Hambantota, where her 4-0-29-4 spell in the first innings sealed a thrilling four-wicket win and another Player of the Match award.
In the current series, hosted by India from December 21-30, 2025, where Harmanpreet Kaur’s side has dominated with wins by 8 wickets (1st T20I), 7 wickets (2nd on December 23), 8 wickets with 40 balls to spare (3rd), and 30 runs (4th), Athapaththu leads Sri Lanka’s run charts. She tops with 101 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 118.82 and an average of 25.25, including her latest half-century, placing her fourth overall in the series aggregate.
As Sri Lanka eyes redemption in the 5th T20I, Athapaththu’s milestone arrives ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales (June 12 to July 5). The trailblazer’s blend of power-hitting, leadership, and all-round grit continues to inspire, cementing her as Sri Lanka’s greatest T20I warrior.
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