Chamari named captain of 2023 ICC Women’s T20I team

Sri Lanka women’s skipper Chamari Athapaththu has been named as the Captain of the ICC Women’s T-20 Team of the Year for 2023.

The veteran Sri Lankan started the year with a Player of the Match performance in Cape Town in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, smashing 68 off 50 balls to help Sri Lanka beat South Africa by three runs. The big upset win set the tone for a remarkable year for Sri Lanka women and Athapaththu was at the forefront of it all.

She finished with 470 runs in the year, scoring at a quicker-than-usual strike-rate of 130.91. With 15 sixes in the year, she also hit a personal high in Women’s T20Is.

In the second half of the year, Athapaththu hit a purple patch, recording an unbeaten 80 in 47 balls in Colombo to help Sri Lanka pull back a win in the three-match series against New Zealand. Athapaththu’s assault blew the White Ferns attack away as Sri Lanka went on to chase 141 with all 10 wickets to spare. She then went on to play a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s series triumph over England in England.

Other individuals who are in the team; Beth Mooney (wk) (Australia), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Ash Gardner (Australia), Deepti Sharma (India), Sophie Ecclestone (England) and Megan Schutt (Australia)