Colombo: Chamari Athapaththu, the dynamic Sri Lankan top-order batter, has won the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2023. Athapaththu’s exceptional skills and leadership qualities were on full display as she led the Sri Lankan side to historic victories during the year.
Commencing the year as captain, Athapaththu steered Sri Lanka to a 1-0 series win over Bangladesh in a rain-truncated encounter. In the decisive third match, she played a crucial role with a blistering 60-ball 64, featuring six fours and four sixes, guiding Sri Lanka to a total of 186. Not only did she excel with the bat, but Athapaththu also made a significant impact with the ball by dismissing her counterpart Nigar Sultana, contributing to her team’s dominant position.
The pinnacle of Athapaththu’s year came against New Zealand, where Sri Lanka achieved their first-ever bilateral series victory (2-1) over the White Ferns. In both victories, Athapaththu showcased her prowess with two fiery centuries, scoring 108* and 140* in pressure situations, guiding her team to triumph.
Despite facing a challenging series against England, resulting in a 2-0 defeat for Sri Lanka on foreign soil, Athapaththu’s importance to the team became evident. While the series didn’t yield favorable results, the 33-year-old’s significant contributions throughout the year underline her impact as a player and captain for Sri Lanka in the ODI format.
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