The Chamari Athapaththu led Sri Lanka Women’s Team will face one of their biggest tests in own backyard ICC Women’s ODI Tri Series 2025 against two of the strong arms in world cricket India and South Africa which takes off from April 27 to May 11 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Sri Lanka is yet to name the squad for the upcoming tournament.
The home tournament to be worked out on a double round-robin format.[will by a long stretch be a huge test for the explosive stroke making 34-year old Lankan captain who has coloured the women’s cricketing scenario to be among the leading batters on the world stage by some breathtaking innings in the short format having taken Sri Lanka from naught to be a team to be reckoned with in the arena by some remarkable triumphs against leading teams like New Zealand, England and South Africa.
In that vein, Athapaththu faces her biggest challenge to coming tops in home terrain in what will be historically important fo Sri Lanka which is staging its first ever Tri-Nation series with a strong cast at her disposal, all willing workers with the bat and ball drawn from the country’s youth system who have been performing exceptionally in recent years. The series is a preparatory forerunner to the ICC 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The South African squad which is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on Tuesday April 22, sees a last minute change with frontline batter Lara Goodall replacing the sick 31-year old all-rounder Anneke Bosch.
Skipper Laura Wolvaardt will lead a blend of experience and uncapped talent, with the likes of Chloé Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus, and Nonkululeko Mlaba forming the core of the squad.
Meanwhile, India, will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, back in action from resting in their last ODI series against Ireland earlier this year, in seeking to take a crack at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup jackpot.
Harmanpreet Kaur is India’s big addition from the team that did duty against Ireland in the three=match home ODI series.
South Africa Squad:
Laura Wolvaardt (Captain), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Nondumiso Shangase, Miané Smit, Chloé Tryon.
India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Tejal Hasabnis, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay.
The tri-series will see each side play the others twice before the top two teams meet in the final.
The Series Schedule:
1st ODI – 27 April: Sri Lanka vs India
2nd ODI – 29 April: India vs South Africa
3rd ODI – 2 May: Sri Lanka vs South Africa
4th ODI – 4 May: Sri Lanka vs India
5th ODI – 7 May: South Africa vs India
6th ODI – 9 May: Sri Lanka vs South Africa
Final – 11 May