In the upcoming Women’s Premier League 2024, Sri Lankan women’s cricket team captain Chamari Athapaththu will join the UP Warriorz team, taking the place of English player Lauren Bell. The team, which came in third in the first WPL, made this change before the tournament happening from February 23 to March 17.
Lauren Bell, who played for UP Warriorz in Season 1 in Mumbai in 2023, won’t be playing this time. Chamari Athapaththu, known for her skills in T20 cricket, had a great T20I career with 122 matches and did well in 2023, scoring 470 runs with a good striking rate and hitting 15 sixes—a personal record in Women’s T20Is.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
UP Warriorz name Chamari Athapaththu as replacement for Lauren Bell.#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/Gk8rkZVz1o
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 26, 2024
Recently, Athapaththu was the second-highest run-scorer in the Women’s Big Bash League 2023, scoring 552 runs in 14 innings at an average of 42.46. Besides batting, she also took 9 wickets for the Sydney Thunders.
Chamari Athapaththu is thankful to UP Warriorz and Capri Sports for trusting her. She looks forward to doing her best for the team. UP Warriorz COO, Kshemal Waingankar, mentioned the absence of Lauren Bell but is excited to have Athapaththu, recognizing her long contribution to T20I cricket and her positive influence as a global ambassador for women’s cricket.
The UP Warriorz, led by Alyssa Healy, will start their WPL journey against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, February 24.
