Harshitha Samarawickrama’s consistency at the top of Sri Lanka’s batting order has earned her the Best ODI Batter award at the Sri Lanka Cricket Awards 2025. The 28-year-old’s recognition comes during a significant period for Sri Lankan women’s cricket, with the team recently completing a successful white-ball series against Pakistan and the sixth edition of The Women’s Hundred currently underway.
Harshitha Samarawickrama finished 2025 as Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs, producing 441 runs at a strike rate of 75.12 and an average of 36.75. She featured in 13 innings across 14 matches and recorded four half-centuries, underlining her value as a dependable top-order presence in the 50-over format.
Her most memorable performance of the year came on 2 May 2025 against South Africa in Colombo, during the third match of the Women’s ODI Tri-Nation Series. Batting at number four in a challenging run chase of 236, Samarawickrama played a composed and fluent innings of 77 from 93 balls. Her knock included eight boundaries and provided the stability Sri Lanka needed to control the chase.
Sri Lanka eventually completed a five-wicket victory with 21 balls to spare, while Samarawickrama was named Player of the Match. Her ability to combine patience with timely stroke-making proved decisive, particularly in a chase that demanded both concentration and calculated aggression.
The award also reflects Samarawickrama’s broader contribution to Sri Lanka’s ODI batting. So far, she has accumulated 1,620 runs in 56 matches, including 54 innings, at a strike rate of 69.67 and an average of 35.21. Her tally includes nine half-centuries and two centuries, numbers that highlight her sustained importance to the side.
The honour arrives as Sri Lanka, led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu, continues to build momentum in the white-ball game. Between 23 July and 4 August 2026, Sri Lanka hosted Pakistan for a six-match series comprising three ODIs followed by three T20Is. The hosts secured both series by identical 2-1 margins, adding further weight to the growing confidence around the team. Sri Lanka will now be in action in the upcoming 6th edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 from 28th August to 13th September in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, the sixth edition of The Women’s Hundred is being played from 21 July to 16 August 2026, keeping women’s cricket firmly in the global spotlight. Against that backdrop, Samarawickrama’s award serves as a timely reminder of the quality and consistency she has brought to Sri Lanka’s ODI campaign.
Her 2025 returns were not merely a collection of useful scores; they represented the contribution of a batter capable of anchoring an innings, adapting to match situations and producing decisive performances. The Best ODI Batter award is fitting recognition for a player who has become one of the central pillars of Sri Lanka’s batting unit.
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