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The UP Warriorz have signed Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu as a substitute for English fast bowler Lauren Bell, who has pulled out of the upcoming 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) season.
The Warriorz secured the Sri Lankan all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu for her starting bid of 30 Lakhs in the WPL auction.
"English fast bowler Lauren Bell has withdrawn from the upcoming season of the TATA Women’s Premier League 2024. UP Warriorz have named Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu as a replacement for Bell," WPL website's statement read.
“Among the most powerful hitters in the game, the Lankan captain is also one of the most experienced players, having featured in over 120 T20Is. Known for her attacking batting, Chamari is the only Lankan woman to have scored a century in T20Is. She has been signed for her base price of INR 30 lakh.”
During the WPL 2024 auction, Sri Lankan captain Athapaththu was widely anticipated to spark intense competition among the bidders. Contrary to expectations, Athapaththu became one of the most prominent players to remain unsold at the auction. Despite entering with a base price of Rs 30 lakh, no teams placed bids for her. This was surprising given Athapaththu's exceptional performance in the recent Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season, where she was the second-highest run-scorer with 552 runs in just 14 innings, and also claimed nine wickets.
Moreover, the Sri Lankan all-rounder had recently been named as the captain of the ICC's Women's ODI Team of the Year, further highlighting her notable cricketing achievements.
Notably, UP Warriorz secured a third-place finish in the inaugural season of the WPL and went on to compete against the Mumbai Indians in the eliminator match, a contest they ultimately lost.
UP Warriorz updated full squad for WPL 2024: Alyssa Healy*, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris*, Kiran Navgire, Chamari Athapaththu, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S. Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone*, Tahlia Mcgrath*, Danni Wyatt*, Vrinda Dinesh, Saima Thakor, Gouher Sultana, Poonam Khemnar.
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