Chamari Athapaththu’s Record-Breaking Spell Destroys Indonesia

Chamari Athapaththu Shines in Asia Cup

Sri Lanka Women continued their dominance in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup with a resounding victory over Indonesia. The driving force behind this triumph was none other than captain and all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu, who put on a spectacular display of bowling, earning her the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

A Record-Breaking Performance

Athapaththu delivered an outstanding bowling performance, claiming seven wickets for just five runs across 3.3 overs. This remarkable achievement saw her record her first five-wicket haul in international cricket and secure one of the top bowling figures in Women’s T20I history.

The match took place at the Dubai International Stadium as part of match six in the ongoing tournament. Sri Lanka set a target of 125 runs after scoring 124-7 in their allotted 20 overs, placing immense pressure on the Indonesian batters.

Turning Points in the Match

Athapaththu’s spell began in the fourth over of Indonesia’s innings, where she immediately made her presence felt by taking the wicket of Rahmawati Pangestuti. She continued to wreak havoc in Indonesia’s batting lineup, dismissing opener Maria Corazon in her next over before trapping Ni Kadek Fitria Rada Rani in front of the stumps.

The highlight of Athapaththu’s performance was securing a stunning hat-trick, taking out Ni Ariani, Sang Maypriani, and Dara Paramitha with consecutive deliveries. This impressive feat marked the fifth best bowling figures in Women’s T20I cricket history and the best-ever figures by any women’s bowler from an ICC member nation in this format.

Setting New Standards

Athapaththu not only recorded the best figures in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup match but also etched her name in history as the first Sri Lankan cricketer to take a hat-trick in a Women’s T20I match. She joined Inoka Ranaweera as one of only two Sri Lankan players to achieve an international hat-trick, with Ranaweera’s feat occurring in an ODI match back in 2015.

Continuing the Winning Streak

Thanks to Athapaththu’s extraordinary performance, Sri Lanka Women secured a convincing 75-run victory over Indonesia, marking their second consecutive win in the tournament. With this victory, they sit at the top of the Group B points table, boasting an impressive net run rate of 4.129.

The defending champions are set to face Bangladesh to conclude their Group B campaign on September 6. As the tournament progresses, eyes will be on Chamari Athapaththu and her team to see if they can continue their winning ways and defend their title successfully.