Chamari Athapaththu omitted from Sri Lanka women's Emerging Nations squad

Sri Lanka have omitted veteran all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu from their 14-member squad for the Women's Emerging Nations Trophy, set to take place in the UAE from November 12 to 25. Harshitha Samarawickrama will captain the side, with Kavisha Dilhari as her deputy.

Leadership transition

Athapaththu is a veteran all-rounder and key figure in Sri Lanka's women's cricket setup, according to Cricinfo. Her omission signals a possible leadership transition as Sri Lanka looks beyond the experienced cricketer.

Aside from Athapaththu, Hansima Karunaratne, Anushka Sanjeewani, Nimasha Meepage, Kawya Kavindi and Mithali Ayodhya have also been left out of the squad named from the Asian Games. Sathya Sandeepani, Rashmika Sewwandi, Malki Madara and Chethana Vimukthi have earned places in the team.

Youthful squad

The squad features a youthful group, with an average age of around 21. Aside from the veteran pair of Nilakshika Silva and Sugandika Kumari, aged 37 and 35 respectively, the only other player older than 30 is 31-year-old Hasini Perera. The rest of the squad has an average age of just 21.

Batting and bowling options

The batting unit, even without Athapaththu, retains a strong core led by Samarawickrama.

Sanjana Kavindi - one of two 17-year-olds in the squad; the other being Chamudi Praboda - has been in fine form for Sri Lanka Under-19 of late, with three fifty-plus scores in her last four T20 innings.

Imesha Dulani, Vishmi Gunarathne, Dilhari, Hasini, Nilakshika, Kaushini Nuthyangana and Sandeepani make up the rest of the batting.

On the bowling front, Sri Lanka have named three seamers in the squad - Madara, Vimukthi and Sewwandi - though Sandeepani is also capable of chipping in with her medium pace, as is Nilakshika.

Kumari and Praboda make up the spin bowling department, which will be supplemented by Dilhari's off breaks.

Full squad

Harshitha Samarawickrama (capt), Kavisha Dilhari (vice-capt), Sanjana Kavindi, Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Sathya Sandeepani, Rashmika Sewwandi, Sugandika Kumari, Chamudi Praboda, Malki Madara, Chethana Vimukthi.

What happens next

Sri Lanka will compete in the Women's Emerging Nations Trophy in the UAE from November 12 to 25 under Samarawickrama's captaincy.

Sri Lanka squad for Emerging Nations Trophy

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Sources

• thenewsmill.com

• lokmattimes.com

• Photo: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)