Women's T20 Asia Cup 2022: Sri Lanka announce 15-member squad, Rashmi Silva earns maiden callup
Chamari Athapaththu will lead the team at the continental event starting October 1.
Sri Lanka made three changes to their Asia Cup 2022 squad as compared to the roaster that competed in the Commonwealth Games 2022 as they named a 15-member squad for the continental tournament scheduled for next month. Chamari Athapaththu will lead the squad at the tournament which will be hosted by Bangladesh.
17-year old Vishmi Gunaratne missed out on the tournament alongside the experienced Ama Kanchana and Udeshika Prabodhani as they made way for left-arm seamer Tharika Sewwandi, Wicketkeeper-batter Kaushani Nuthyangana, and allrounder Madushika Methtananda.
Both Nuthyangana, 20, who will fill in for Anushka Sanjeewani behind the stumps and Sewwandi, 21, who will replace Prabodhani as the left-arm seamer, have been identified as potential future stars of the team. Methtananda, on the other hand, is set to play for Sri Lanka for just the second time as she debuted back in 2019.
The only unavoidable change among the others in the team is for the highly regarded all-arounder Gunaratne, who has a possible stress fracture in her back. Though Sri Lanka Cricket would have preferred to have included her, a recent MRI report revealed the issue.
SLC chose not to risk worsening the ailment and to instead concentrate on getting her ready for the maiden Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa in January 2023. Due to their recent poor performance, Kanchana and Prabodhani have both been left out. The rest of the team is intact.
A mix of young and experienced players
Chamari Athapaththu commands a group that includes the all-rounders Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Malsha Shehani, Methtananda, Sanjeewani, and Nuthyangana in addition to Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama who complete the batting unit. Sewwandi will be the only frontline pacer on the team, while players with medium pace like Achini Kulasuriya, Methtananda, Nilakshi, and Shehani can also contribute to the assault.
The Sri Lankan side is effectively equipped on the spin-bowling front as Inoka Ranaweera and Sugandika Kumari can contribute well with the ball, alongside all-rounders Athapaththu, Dilhari and Ranasinghe. Rashmi Silva, another spinner, has earned a call-up and is likely to make her T20I debut at the tournament where Sri Lanka will open their campaign on the first day, October 1.
Sri Lanka squad for Women's T20 Asia Cup 2022: Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Kaushani Nuthyangana, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Malsha Shehani, Madushika Meththananda, Inoka Ranaweera, Rashmi Silva, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, Tharika Sewwandi
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