After several speculations about her retirement, Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu has confirmed that she aims to be around the national team until the 50-over World Cup next year. Sri Lanka led by Athapaththu completed a historic win against India on Sunday to clinch their first-ever Asia Cup title.
Athapaththu, 34 years old, has been coy about her future over the last several months. She is undisputedly Sri Lanka’s best batter and has been their full-time captain since 2018. However, she had posted on social media that a series in South Africa in April would be her “last duty” with the national team but subsequently refused to expand on that post.
“Hopefully I’ll still play till the next 50-over World Cup,” Athapaththu told the host broadcaster when asked if she would promise her fans they’ll see her play for a long time in Sri Lanka colours. India is going to host the World Cup next year, however, the dates for the same have not been confirmed yet. Athapaththu will now have the opportunity to lead Sri Lanka in two world cups in a span of 1 year as she will fight for the glory that could add stars to her terrific international career.
Athapaththu’s form has never really been a concern. She at 34, is still winning games consistently for her nation. She played a major role in Sri Lanka’s triumph at the Asia Cup, scoring 304 in five innings, topping the run-scorers chart by a huge margin. She hit 61 off 43 in the final as Sri Lanka chased down 168 against India to become the Asian Champions for the first time in their history.
