Athapaththu among big movers, enters top three in T20I all-rounders rankings

DUBAI: Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu has been richly rewarded for her outstanding recent performances, making notable gains in the latest ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings.

Athapaththu was named Player of the Series in Sri Lanka’s dominant 3-0 clean sweep over Bangladesh, delivering an all-round performance that underlined her importance to the side. The experienced campaigner scored 115 runs across three innings and also picked up four wickets, showcasing her versatility ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which is set to begin on June 12.

Her efforts have resulted in a rise of three places to 41st in the T20I bowlers’ rankings. Additionally, she has climbed two spots in the all-rounders’ list to secure the third position overall. In doing so, Athapaththu has moved ahead of India’s Deepti Sharma and Australia’s Ash Gardner. Only New Zealand captain Melie Kerr and West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews remain ahead of her in the all-rounders’ standings.

Sri Lanka’s success in the series has also been reflected in the rankings of several other players. Harshita Samarawickrama climbed five places to joint 20th in the T20I batting rankings, while Imesha Dulani made a significant leap of 23 spots to reach 49th. On the bowling charts, Kavisha Dilhari advanced two places to 17th, and Malki Madara moved up 11 positions to 44th, joining Athapaththu among the team’s notable risers.