Chamari Athapaththu to exit WPL early for Sri Lanka's tour
What's the story
Chamari Athapaththu, a star player for UP Warriorz (UPW) in the Women's Premier League (WPL), will be leaving the tournament early.
She will join the Sri Lankan team for a white-ball series in New Zealand, starting March 4.
Her early exit will be a huge blow to UPW as they are already dealing with the absence of their regular captain Alyssa Healy due to injury.
Schedule
Athapaththu's availability for UPW and national duties
Athapaththu will be available for UPW until February 26, which means she can play four more matches before turning her attention to national duties.
After their match against Mumbai Indians on February 26, the UPW team will travel to Lucknow for the tournament's final league phase where they will play three home games.
Leadership
Athapaththu to lead Sri Lanka in New Zealand tour
Athapaththu has been named the captain of Sri Lanka's 16-member team for their upcoming tour of New Zealand.
The squad will leave on February 22 for a series of three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is.
This leadership role further highlights her importance to the national team and the importance of her early exit from WPL.
Player commitment
Amelia Kerr to prioritize WPL over bilateral series
Unlike Athapaththu, New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr has opted to prioritize the WPL over the upcoming bilateral series.
If Mumbai Indians make it to the knockouts and reach the final on March 15, Kerr will also miss the first two T20Is on March 14 and 16 in Christchurch.
The decision is similar to her move last year when she skipped a home bilateral T20I series against England to play in the entire WPL.
Calendar conflict
WPL and T20I series clash led to players' withdrawal
Notably, in 2024, a scheduling conflict between the final leg of WPL and the T20I series in New Zealand saw England captain Heather Knight (RCB) and Lauren Bell (UPW) withdrawing from WPL to play for their national team.
Coincidentally, Athapaththu was named as Bell's replacement for UPW during the time.
This incident emphasizes the potential challenges of overlapping cricket events on players' commitments.
Assurance
Cricket boards assure no clashes with WPL in future
After the 2024 scheduling clash, cricket boards such as the ECB have promised their players to not schedule international games during the WPL.
The tournament will move from its current February-March window to January-February from 2026 onwards, according to the new women's Future Tours Programme (FTP).
This will help avoid future clashes between international series and other T20 leagues.
Information
SL Women squad for New Zealand tour
SL Women squad: Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani, Manudi Nanayakkara, Imesha Dulani, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sachini Nisansala, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Inoshi Priyadarshini, Sugandika Kumari, Rashmika Sewwandi, Chethana Vimukthi.