WPL 2024: Chamari Athapaththu believes in controlling the controllables and now she has rejection to use as motivation

In a sporting world of carefully curated media interactions and measured answers, Chamari Athapaththu exceeded the below-par expectations by quite some distance as she sat down with a group of Indian journalists before her potential Women's Premier League (WPL) debut in February. The Sri Lanka star just last month was named the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year and captain of the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year after a stellar 2023, but it wasn’t enough to land a WPL deal. After going unsold in 2023 auction at a base price of Rs 30 lakh, the world No. 2 ODI and No. 7 T20 batter, had to face the same during the 2024 player auction. The franchise owners, coaches and team management must have their own reasons to not pick the opener, despite Athapaththu scoring 470 runs in T20Is in 2023, the fourth-highest among batters from Full-Member nations, at a strike rate of 130.91 and picking up eight wickets at an economy of a shade under 6. In the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), she slammed 552 runs at 127.19 strike rate to be the second-highest run-getter. Maybe the teams couldn’t find a place for her with only four overseas players allowed in the playing XI. But as fate would have it, England and Wales Cricket Board’s diktat, forcing players to choose between WPL and New Zealand T20Is, saw Lauren Bell drop out and her franchise UP Warriorz roping in Athapaththu. Coming to the league where her consecutive snub even led to rumours that organisers are deliberately ignoring Sri Lankan players, Athapaththu was honest about her feelings and had no hesitation in admitting that the “rejection” will only motivate her to giver her best in the WPL 2024. “Rejection is some kind of motivation for me,” she said in a virtual interaction from her home in Sri Lanka. “It’s good for me because sometimes I can learn and I want to show what I can do. “If someone says it can’t be done, be the first to do it—that’s my philosophy. I just want to prove what I can do. I got the opportunity in the WBBL (at the) last minute as a replacement player. I grabbed that opportunity with both hands.”

📩 You have a new unread message from humaari, @58Chamari 😁#UPWarriorzUttarDega #ChangeTheGame #CapriSports pic.twitter.com/7PYupdq0I5

— UP Warriorz (@UPWarriorz) January 29, 2024

On how shocking was the auction snub despite having one of the best seasons of her career, Athapaththu said that she wasn’t shocked , but surprised, however, she wouldn’t let those feeling to stray her away from the process of focussing on controlling the controllables. “I am not shocked, I am surprised because they didn’t pick me. But these things are not in my control. I think of what I can control because these decisions are taken by someone else, some coaches or some (team) management,” she shared. “I can’t control these things, but what I can control is my batting, my bowling. I just want to do what I can do. I take these decisions in good spirit and do my best.” The WPL, however, is not going to be easy. Apart from being a collection of best of the best players, there’s also restriction on number of overseas cricketers who can play in an XI. At UP Warriorz, Athapaththu will have to fight out with Alyssa Healy, Danni Wyatt, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris and Sophie Ecclestone for a place in the team. A “team player”, the Sri Lankan is unperturbed by the competition. Honest in her words, Athapaththu had no hesitation in admitting that now is not the time to be rigid. “I know Alyssa Healy is an opener, my favourite Danni Wyatt is also an opener, even Tahlia McGrath can open, Grace Harris opens for Brisbane Heat (in the WBBL). We have to adjust, and the important thing is the [requirements of the] team. If the coaches and team need me to, I am happy to bat everywhere between Nos. 1-6. I can do anything for my team, I am always a team player,” she signed off.