Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu struck a confident note ahead of her team’s long-awaited return to the global stage, asserting that her side has what it takes to upstage India in the opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Guwahati on the eve of the clash at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, the southpaw emphasized belief and execution as the keys to Sri Lanka’s opening challenge against one of the tournament’s favourites.
This marks Sri Lanka’s return to the Women’s World Cup after eight years, and they open their campaign in testing fashion against Harmanpreet Kaur’s India, co-hosts of this 13th edition, which runs from September 30 to November 2. Yet Athapaththu drew confidence from Sri Lanka’s resurgence over the past year, particularly their performances in the tri-nation series earlier this year.
“Actually, we’ve been playing really good cricket in the last 12 months against some big teams. My plan is to ensure we play our best cricket in front of everyone,” Athapaththu said, referencing Sri Lanka’s victories over South Africa and India during the tri-series on home soil before finishing runners-up against the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side.
Athapaththu, who has long been the heartbeat of Sri Lankan women’s cricket, urged her team not to be daunted by the occasion or India’s stature. Instead, she stressed the importance of clarity and composure on match day.
“We don’t want to put too much pressure on our shoulders. We have to execute our plans at the right time, and I know we can win this game (against India),” she stated confidently.
The focus on execution will be critical, given Sri Lanka’s mixed results in warm-up matches. While the opening game against Pakistan was washed out, they narrowly lost to Bangladesh by just one run. Still, Athapaththu highlighted the positives, especially from her younger players, complementing the seniors.
“Our youngsters are doing well, along with our seniors as well. So yeah, I hope we can play our best cricket in this World Cup,” she said with optimism.
Beyond the opener, Sri Lanka’s campaign strategically swings back to friendlier conditions. Five of their seven group-stage matches are scheduled at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, including fixtures against heavyweights Australia and England. Athapaththu framed this as a critical advantage.
“Yeah, definitely (we have the home advantage). We’re playing five games at home in Sri Lanka at the Premadasa stadium on home soil in home conditions, so we know the conditions better than anyone,” the captain acknowledged. “But we have to play our best cricket and execute our plans at the right time, and we need to have a good start.”
The stakes could hardly be higher as Sri Lanka faces India in the tournament’s curtain raiser on Tuesday, September 30. The match begins at 3 PM IST in front of a packed Barsapara Stadium crowd, expected to create a vibrant atmosphere befitting such a contest. For Sri Lanka, this encounter isn’t just a chance to test themselves against one of the strongest sides but also a moment to reassert their competitive spirit on the world stage after nearly a decade away.
By combining recent form, the emergence of promising youngsters, and home-ground advantage in later stages, Athapaththu believes Sri Lanka has the right mix to challenge the best. “We played good cricket in the Tri-series, beat South Africa and beat India once. Our preparation is good; we trained on our home soil and are ready to face this challenge,” she noted.
As the World Cup gets underway, all eyes will be on Athapaththu and her team’s attempt to upset the established order and set the tournament ablaze from the very first ball.
(Quotes sourced from ICC Press Release)
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