WPL 2024: UP Warriorz names Chamari Athapaththu as replacement for Lauren Bell

Bell, who was signed by Warriorz in the inaugural WPL auction for her base price of Rs 30 lakh, has withdrawn from the upcoming edition.

Chamari Athapaththu during the 2023 T20 women’s World Cup cricket match against South Africa | Photo Credit: AFP

UP Warriorz has named Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu as replacement for England’s Lauren Bell, ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) season next month.

Fast bowler Bell, who was signed by Warriorz in the inaugural WPL auction for her base price of Rs 30 lakh, has withdrawn from the upcoming edition.

READ | WPL 2024: Full fixtures table, dates, match timings and venues

Athapaththu is among the most powerful hitters in the game and the Lankan captain is also one of the most experienced players, having featured in over 120 T20Is. Known for her attacking batting, the 33-year-old is the only Lankan woman to have scored a century in T20Is.

She has been signed for her base price of INR 30 lakh.

The hard-hitting batter finished with 470 runs in 2023, with an impressive strike-rate of 130.91. Her 15 sixes in the year is also a personal high in Women’s T20Is.

More recently, the left-hand batter finished as the second-highest run getter in the Women’s Big Bash League 2023, with 552 runs to her name in 14 innings, averaging 42.46 in the tournament. The right arm off-break bowler also bagged 9 wickets for the Sydney Thunders.

“I am grateful to the UP Warriorz and Capri Sports for choosing to put their faith in me for the upcoming season of the Women’s Premier League. 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,” the Sri Lankan all-rounder said.

“It is unfortunate that Lauren won’t be a part of our squad this season but we wish her the best for the summer. That said, We are very excited to bring Chamari Athapaththu on board with the UP Warriorz. She has been a stalwart of T20I cricket for over a decade and we look forward to bringing her on board with us. She has been a great ambassador for women’s cricket all over the world, and we are delighted to have her experience and knowhow among our ranks this season,” said Kshemal Waingankar, COO, UP Warriorz.

The UP Warriorz, led by Alyssa Healy, will commence their WPL campaign against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, February 24.