Chamari Athapaththu, the ODI cricketer of the year, will be getting her first experience in the Women's Premier League (WPL) after being picked by the UP Warriorz as a replacement player for English pacer Lauren Bell for the 2024 edition of the tournament. Athapaththu had gone unsold at the WPL 2024 auction only to be drafted in as a replacement and she has already won hearts after UP Warriorz posted a video on Instagram on the opening day, February 23.
Athapaththu was seen giving respect to the Indian national anthem when the Warriorz were watching the opening game of WPL 2024 between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals. Both teams stood up for the Indian national anthem before the start of the first game and Athapaththu not only stood straight but was also singing the whole anthem as it looked like she knew it pretty well.
Even the fans in the comments of the video wondered if the Sri Lankan captain has some Indian connection because it looked like she knew it by heart. Athapaththu's feature has won the fans' hearts even before she took the field. Watch the video:
UP Warriorz will kick off their campaign against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday, February 24. While three overseas players are definite for the Warriorz including skipper Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath and Sophie Ecclestone, it will be interesting to see whether they go for Athapaththu or Grace Harris in the middle order. The Warriorz have a power-packed overseas players roster and their campaign in 2024 could come down to their selection.
UP Warriorz Squad: Alyssa Healy(w/c), Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Vrinda Dinesh, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Parshavi Chopra, Gouher Sultana, Chamari Athapaththu, Saima Thakor, Laxmi Yadav, Danielle Wyatt, Soppadhandi Yashasri, Poonam Khemnar
