Sri Lankan superstar Chamari Athapaththu has signed as Sydney Thunder‘s replacement overseas player, completing the squad ahead of the club’s start at North Sydney Oval on October 22.
Athapaththu is the number one Sri Lankan batting all-rounder and is excited to get on the ground with her new side:
“I’m so excited to be joining the Thunder Nation. It’s an amazing club and to have our home games across Cricket Central and North Sydney Oval is really special. Australia is where I’ve scored most of my international T20 runs away from home, including a century at NSO. I appreciate all of the support so far and look forward to being in front of the fans, I plan to bring a Thunder-storm to the WBBL this summer.”
Athapaththu is known for her incredibly aggressive batting style and adds further depth to Thunder’s line up as well as a wealth of knowledge from her 14 years on the international stage.
WBBL teams are able to sign a number of additional overseas players, with three allowed to be part of any match-day Xl. England captain Heather Knight has been confirmed as Thunder’s captain for the summer, while superstar South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and rising England fast bowler Lauren Bell round out Thunder overseas quartet.
Thunder start their campaign at North Sydney Oval against rivals Sixers on October 22.
I am excited to see Athapaththu join the Sydney Thunder squad. She is a world-class player who will add a lot to the team. I am looking forward to seeing her in action in the upcoming WBBL season.
