Sydney Thunder Secures Chamari Athapaththu for Three Seasons

Sydney Thunder has signed Sri Lanka's captain Chamari Athapaththu for the next three Women's Big Bash League seasons. Athapaththu, who performed impressively last season, expressed excitement about continuing with the team, while the franchise highlighted her exceptional talent and community engagement.

The Sydney Thunder franchise has secured Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu's services for the next three Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) seasons as a pre-draft signing. Athapaththu shined for the Thunder last season, contributing significantly to their fourth-place finish by scoring 552 runs at an average of 42.46 and taking nine wickets.

'Committing to Sydney Thunder for the next three seasons was an easy decision because I believe in the vision of this club, and I want to be part of its future success,' Athapaththu said in a statement released by the franchise. 'There’s so much to love about my Sydney Thunder family. My teammates are not just colleagues; they are friends who push each other to be better every day, which is important to me. Western Sydney is the heart and soul of Sydney Thunder, and representing such a diverse and vibrant community is a privilege. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I’m so excited for what’s ahead,' she added.

In the previous WBBL seasons, overseas signings were contracted for one year, but Thunder signed Athapaththu under the League's new multi-year contract provision. Sydney Thunder general manager Trent Copeland expressed his delight at the new signing, stating, 'Chamari is obviously an exceptional cricket player, but she is also an exceptional human being who is team first and fan first. We know other teams were interested in signing her, but we made every effort to ensure she came back. To see the way she embraced and engaged with our members and fans last summer was something pretty special and on the field, she had one of the WBBL's great seasons.'

Sydney Thunder squad: Chamari Athapaththu, Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Saskia Horley, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson. (ANI)