Sri Lanka Women Aim for Aggressive Approach Ahead of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – Chamari Athapaththu

Sri Lanka Women’s team captain Chamari Athapaththu has stated that if Sri Lanka is to win the T20 World Cup, they must play with courage and deliver their best performance without doubt or fear.

Speaking at a press conference held at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday (02) before the team’s departure to England for the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup starting on the 12th in England and Wales, Athapaththu emphasized a positive and fearless mindset.

Sri Lanka has been placed in Group 2 alongside defending champions New Zealand, former champions England and West Indies, as well as Ireland and Scotland.

Sri Lanka will begin their campaign against hosts England in Birmingham on the opening day of the tournament.

When asked about Sri Lanka’s chances against strong teams like England and New Zealand and whether they had special strategies, Athapaththu said:

“It is not easy to face defending champions New Zealand and England. England will have the home advantage. However, if we are to win, we must play with a positive mindset and express our best skills. That is why I have asked the players to play freely. We will go into the field with the determination to attack and give our best.”

She added that Sri Lanka’s recent victory against England in England has boosted the team’s confidence.

“We have not been in England for the past 8–9 months, but last year’s victory in England has given us encouragement. Our team is in a good mindset now. We have corrected many of our weaknesses. I will not say we are going to win the World Cup before going—it is not something you can simply buy. We will focus on playing well match by match.”

Athapaththu also noted that Sri Lanka has never reached the semi-finals in Women’s World Cup history, and reaching that stage would require at least three or four wins.

“If we reach the semi-finals, it will be historic. It is not easy, but we will give our maximum effort to go far in this World Cup.”

She further revealed a possible change in Sri Lanka’s bowling strategy under the new coach, Jamie Sidons, moving towards a more balanced attack.

“Our new coach has introduced a positive approach. He is the first coach who suggested changing our traditional bowling strategy. Instead of relying heavily on spin, we will increase our fast bowlers.”

According to the plan, Sri Lanka may field three fast bowlers and one spinner, along with batting depth and all-rounders, aiming to consistently post scores above 160–170 runs in matches.

The captain concluded that Sri Lanka will enter the tournament as a well-balanced side aiming to compete strongly in every game.