The second season of WPL will start on 23 February 2024, however, UP Warriorz have had to make some changes in their lineup. The English bowler, Lauren Bell, will be unavailable for the second season. She opted out of the Women’s Premier League due to her commitments with the National team. This has created space for Chamari Athapaththu to enter the stage and play her role in the upcoming tournament. Continue reading and know more details about this incident.
Athapaththu enters the stage
Lauren Bell will be unavailable for the upcoming season of WPL. This is because she wants to prepare for the series against the Kiwis starting on 19 March 2024. You could say that she could be available for the initial matches in the tournament. However, she has opted to focus more on training for her National commitment.
And this is where the franchise decided to select Chamari Athapaththu as her replacement. It was shocking to see when she went unsold during the WPL auction in 2024. However, UP Warriorz have acquired her for a price of US$36,000.
This is what she had to say about her inclusion in the team.
“I look forward to giving my best to the team and working closely with head coach Jon Lewis and skipper Alyssa Healy and help my team lift the coveted title. The WPL is a very dynamic tournament, and the UP Warriorz is a strong squad.”
Her impact on the game
Chamari can be considered as one of the greatest women cricketers of the modern times. She was recently named the ODI cricketer of the year in her category and had a terrific season last year.
Talking about her T20 career, this is what the Lankan allrounder has for the show
| Matches | 122 |
| Runs | 2651 |
| Average | 22.65 |
| Strike rate | 106.20 |
| Wickets | 40 |
| Economy rate | 6.70 |
Conclusion
With this move, UP has done the right thing. It makes sense to select such a destructive batter in your team. WPL lost when no franchise didn’t select her. However, they have made things right by having a player of her standard in the team. She will be crucial for the team’s performance this year, and might be the reason why they will win this year.
Things arent confirmed about the other England cricketers. In the coming days, we will know if all the English team players will leave the team to prepare for England vs New Zealand series.