I failed as a captain: Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu faces the threat of an early exit

Chamari Athapaththu was visibly upset as Sri Lanka face the risk of an early exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka suffered a five-wicket defeat against the West Indies on Sunday after being dismissed for just 98.

While they recorded a memorable win against New Zealand, their performances against England and the Caribbean side were underwhelming. Athapaththu has been a mainstay of the Sri Lankan team and has often played the side almost single-handedly since her debut in 2009.

She officially took over the captaincy from Shashikal Siriwardene in 2014 and has since led Sri Lanka in 69 ODIs and 114 T20Is. Despite more than a decade in charge, Sri Lanka have failed to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

“I TRIED MY BEST”

Reflecting on her journey, Athapaththu admitted that while she had achieved a lot individually, she felt she had failed as a captain.

“Actually, it’s a sadness that cannot be expressed in words. I think I played for about 18 years for the national team and I could never get a chance to take my team to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Even though I personally achieved many things, I think I failed as a captain because I think it’s a big pain for the players,” Athapaththu said after the match.

“Actually now I have to be with the pain. I think I tried my best, I think I should have played more responsible than this and if I had played more responsible than this today we could have won this match today,” said Athapaththu.

“So I’m sorry. I don’t like to blame anyone and I think I have more responsibility as a player, as a team captain and as a player with more experience. So I’m very sad, I feel like I’ve lost my last chance,” Athapaththu added.

Athapaththu has not been in impressive form in the ongoing World Cup, scoring just 33 points in three matches at an average of 11. Sri Lanka will look to keep their campaign alive when they take on Gaby Lewis’ Ireland at the County Ground in Bristol on Tuesday, June 23.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

22 Jun 2026 16:48 IST