Finally! Fans react as Chamari Athapaththu receives WPL debut cap for UP Warriorz against Gujarat Giants

The 8th match of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 saw UP Warriorz (UPW) hand their debut cap to Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu for the clash against Gujarat Giants (GG). The player was not considered during the auction but was recruited by UPW after English fast bowler Lauren Bell withdrew from the upcoming season.

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Soon after winning the toss, Alyssa Healy announced that her side would bowl first and made one change, bringing Chamari in for Tahlia McGrath. This decision gave fans a reason to celebrate after they were shocked to see her not being considered for the WPL.

About Chamari Athapaththu:

Chamari Athapaththu, the captain of the Sri Lanka women's team, was unsold during the WPL 2024 auctions. Last year, she had amassed 470 runs in 16 T20Is and claimed eight wickets. Additionally, she led Sri Lanka to a historic series win over England for the first time, emerging as the leading scorer and joint-leading wicket-taker in the series.

In the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), she was honoured as the player of the tournament while representing Sydney Thunder. With 552 runs and nine wickets, she ranked as the second-highest run-scorer in the league.

In a statement, WPL highlighted, "Renowned as one of the most powerful hitters in the game, the Sri Lankan captain boasts extensive experience, having appeared in over 120 T20Is. Known for her aggressive batting style, Chamari holds the distinction of being the only Sri Lankan woman to have scored a century in T20Is. She has been signed for her base price of Rs 30 lakh."

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As for the clash, GG also made changes as Laura Wolvaardt comes in for Tahuhu, Veda also misses out and Mannat Kashyap replaces her.

Teams:

Gujarat Giants (Playing XI): Harleen Deol, Beth Mooney(w/c), Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Ashleigh Gardner, Dayalan Hemalatha, Kathryn Bryce, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh

UP Warriorz (Playing XI): Alyssa Healy(w/c), Kiran Navgire, Chamari Athapaththu, Grace Harris, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor, Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad