Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu delivered an emotional assessment of her leadership after her side’s damaging defeat to the West Indies in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, admitting she feels she has ‘failed as a captain’ after another campaign that could end without a semi-final appearance. The experienced all-rounder, who has represented Sri Lanka for nearly two decades, took personal responsibility for the loss and reflected on the pain of falling short despite a career filled with individual achievements.
Chamari Athapaththu shoulders blame after crucial defeat
The five-wicket loss to the West Indies has left Sri Lanka’s qualification hopes hanging by the slimmest of margins. With only two points from three matches, the team now requires convincing victories in its remaining fixtures and favorable results elsewhere to stay in contention.
Speaking after the match, an emotional Athapaththu did not hide her disappointment. She described the feeling as “sadness beyond words” and lamented her inability to guide Sri Lanka into a Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final despite spending 18 years with the national side.
“It’s sadness beyond words. I think I played around 18 years for the national team, I could never get a chance to take my team into a semifinal of a World Cup. Even though I have achieved many things personally, I think I’m a failure as a captain. I think that’s a big pain for a player. Actually, now I have to be with that pain,” said Athapaththu in the post-match presser.
The skipper was particularly critical of her own performance. Sri Lanka suffered a disastrous start, slipping to 9/3 inside the opening three overs, with Athapaththu among the early dismissals. The innings never recovered as the team was bowled out for just 98 runs.
Reflecting on her dismissal, she admitted she should have shown greater responsibility and believed a more composed knock from her could have changed the outcome. Rather than pointing fingers at teammates, she insisted that as captain and one of the squad’s most experienced players, the burden rested on her shoulders.
“I think I tried my best, I think I should have played more responsibly than this. If I played more responsibly than this today, we could have win this match today. So, I regret that, especially I don’t like to blame anyone, and I think I have more responsibility as a player, as the captain of the team and as a player with more experience. So, I’m very sad, I feel like I lost my last chance,” added Athapaththu.
Long career marked by personal success but team frustration
Athapaththu’s comments highlighted the emotional toll of years spent chasing a breakthrough on the global stage. Although she has established herself as Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer in women’s T20 internationals and one of the country’s greatest cricketers, World Cup success has remained elusive.
Sri Lanka have not progressed beyond the first round of the tournament since 2009, and Athapaththu has been involved in every campaign during that period. She has also captained the side in six editions of the competition, consistently carrying expectations with both bat and leadership responsibilities.
Her record as captain reflects the challenges faced by the team over the years. Across 114 Women’s T20Is in charge, Sri Lanka have registered 49 victories while losing 62 matches. Among women’s internationals, only Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has led her side in more T20Is.
Future remains uncertain ahead of 2028 World Cup
Despite the disappointment, Sri Lanka’s campaign is not mathematically over. Upcoming matches against Scotland and Ireland offer an opportunity to improve their standing, though qualification will likely depend on other results going their way.
Athapaththu, now 36, also addressed questions about her future beyond the ongoing tournament. She stopped short of making any commitment regarding the 2028 T20 World Cup in Pakistan, explaining that her decision would depend on maintaining both her fitness and performance standards.
The veteran said she remains committed to keeping herself in the best possible condition and would continue playing if she can contribute meaningfully and if the team still values her presence. For now, however, her immediate focus remains on helping Sri Lanka finish the tournament strongly and keeping their fading semi-final hopes alive.
“For now, I can’t give any explanation about that, because with my age, now I’m 36 years old, So, with fitness and all, that’s being decided. So, I try my best to keep my physical fitness at a good level, and to keep my skills at a high level. If the team wants, I will play in the future, but with my performance level and fitness level, it will be decided if I play or not,” Athapaththu added further.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
