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The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 has been generating waves of excitement, and the latest buzz surrounds the addition of cricketing sensation Chamari Athapaththu to the UP Warriorz roster. The Sri Lankan skipper, renowned globally for her explosive batting in T20Is, stepped in as a replacement for Lauren Bell, who withdrew from the tournament.
It is worth mentioning that Athapaththu’s inclusion to the UP-based side brings added firepower to a squad already boasting stars like Alyssa Healy, Deepti Sharma, and Grace Harris.
Chamari Athapaththu’s stellar record
Athapaththu’s T20I prowess is well-documented, with over 2000 runs and a century in 122 matches. She recently made headlines as the second-highest run-scorer in the Women’s Big Bash League and was named the captain of the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year 2023. However, what makes her journey to the WPL 2024 particularly intriguing is the fact that she went unsold in consecutive auctions.
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Athapaththu reacts to going unsold in consecutive WPL auctions
In a recent virtual interaction, Athapaththu shared her thoughts on the surprising turn of events. While many were eager to hear her reaction to joining the WPL after two unsuccessful auction attempts, the Sri Lankan captain remained composed.
Athapaththu acknowledged the unpredictable nature of cricketing decisions, emphasizing that the selection process involves various stakeholders such as coaches and management. Although she accepted being a bit surprised, her response to the setbacks displayed a remarkable resilience and a positive mindset as she further went on to reveal how she takes rejection as a source of motivation, choosing to channel it into a determination to prove doubters wrong.
“I was not shocked, I was surprised because they didn’t pick me after the auction but these things are not in my control. I think (about) what I can control, I don’t want to take too much pressure on my shoulders because these decisions are taken by someone, some coaches, some (people in the) management,” said Athapaththu.
“Actually, rejection is some kind of motivation for me. It’s good for me because sometimes I can learn and I want to show what I can do. If someone says it can’t be done, be the first to do it—that’s my philosophy. I just want to prove what I can do. I got the opportunity in the WBBL (at the) last minute as a replacement player. I grabbed that opportunity with both hands,” added the Sri Lankan skipper.
