Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was one of the shocking high-profile cricketers who were not picked by any of the five franchises in Womens Premier League (WPL) 2024 auction. Athapaththu who proved her mettle in Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2023 by winning the ‘Player of the tournament’ reacted to her snub a couple of days after the auction via an Instagram story.
'Actions and Numbers speak louder than words,' Chamari posted on her Instagram with a wink emoji.
This was the second time Chamari was ignored in WPL auction. Also, she was not picked in the Women’s Hundred and WBBL draft as well. However, she made her way into WBBL after South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp was unavailable.
The opening batter made the opportunity count as she went on the score 511 runs from 13 innings at an average of 42.58 including five fifty-plus scores. She scored at a strike rate of nearly 130. She finished as the second-highest run-scorer. For Sydney Thunder, she did the damage with the ball as well with nine wickets. Her economy rate was also impressive at 6.79 runs per over.
The snub of the Sri Lankan great did not sit well with former Indian captain Anjum Chopra as well. Anjum feels that she is capable of delivering for the team with both bat and ball and deserves a place in one of the five franchises’ squads.
"It is unfair because people in that auction room would have watched her performance in the WBBL. They would have seen what happened in England. She would not have to tell people who she is. She has that influence through her performances with the bat. So, I am really surprised that a player with all-round abilities like hers is going unsold. Here is a player who can do two jobs for you and is still going unsold. How is it that these teams are not seeing the quality that this player possesses," said Anjum on JioCinema.
Chamari has a fantastic record in T20Is. The 33-year-old has scored 2,651 runs from 120 innings at an average of 22.65 including one century and eight half-centuries.
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