Sri Lanka have more or less named a settled squad for the global event. ©Getty
Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the ICC Women's World Cup but for most of the ICC Women's ODI Championship cycle from 2022 to 2025 they weren't. The India-Pakistan standoff has meant that the island nation will be hosting a women's World Cup for the first time, and the dream of an elusive World Cup semi-final beckons larger than ever before for Sri Lanka. Their ODI record in 2025 reads poorly having won only two of the eight ODIs they have played, with one no-result. They endured a no-result in the warm-up leading up to the tournament and fell agonisingly short against Bangladesh by one run in their second warm-up match.
Despite the lack of recent results, Sri Lanka have more or less named a settled squad for the global event. Led by veteran Chamari Athapaththu, who is playing her third World Cup - in what could be her last hurrah in the 50-over format, the team has a decent combination of power, flair and a budding crop of youngsters alongside a heavily bolstered spin attack, and a pace attack with enough variety to hold its own.
Hasini Perera and Vishmi Gunaratne have given Sri Lanka solid starts but they will need to work on dominating the PowerPlay to get the team up and running. Athapaththu's power is complemented by Harshitha Samarawickrama's finesse. The latter is heading into the tournament with four fifties in her last eight outings and her decent average of 48 during this time has made her the glue of the batting order. With the experienced Nilakshika de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani to follow, the batting department seems to be in good hands.
With five of their seven league games to be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka have turned to spin with low and slow tracks expected to be on offer. The spin quartet is led by the experienced Inoka Ranaweera, Sri Lanka's second highest wicket-taker in ODIs, they also have Sugandika Dasanyake and young Dewmi Vihanga and Kaveesha Dilhari to turn their arm. Despite only having played five ODIs in her career, with six wickets to her name, Malki Madara will lead the pace attack while Udeshika Prabodhani has been recalled to the Sri Lanka ODI squad having not made an appearance this year.
Returning to the World Cup after a gap of eight years, having heartbreakingly missed out on the 2022 edition of the Women's World Cup in New Zealand - primarily due to not having played an ODI in 2020 and 2021, Sri Lanka will fight tooth and nail for a spot in the last four which has they have always yearned for.
They might not have won many ODIs this year but they did come up trumps against South Africa and India in the tri-series in April and May at home, and even reached the final before losing out to India. Sri Lanka might not catch the eyeballs like the heavyweights of the women's game do but they have shown that every now and then, they can shock an opposition.
Squad:Chamari Athapaththu (c), Anushka Sanjeewani (wk) (vc), Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Sugandika Dasanayaka, Nilakshika de Silva, Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Piumi Wathsala Badalge, Dewmi Vihanga, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranweera, Udeshika Prabhodani, Malki Madara, Achini Kulasuriya
Standbys/ Travelling Reserve - Inoshi Fernando
At the top, Sri Lanka can get quick starts through their flamboyant opener Perera and young Gunaratne. Athapaththu could provide some much needed power in the middle to complement the stability given by Samarawickrama and de Silva. The experienced Sanjeewani could always be banked on before a spin-dominated bowling attack comes to the fore on the slow tracks in Colombo. Madara could be paired with Prabhodani as their fast bowling options.
How they qualified:Through the ICC Women's ODI Championship.
Sri Lanka occupied fifth place in the 2022/25 ODI Championship which ensured direct qualification for the World Cup. They won nine out of the 24 ODIs during this cycle, had 22 points to their name and even pipped New Zealand on the standings. Despite being co-hosts, Colombo was named as a venue only after Pakistan qualified for the World Cup in April. Therefore, Sri Lanka had to get into the tournament the hard way.
Keep an eye on- Dewmi Vihanga
The 20-year-old Vihanga made her international debut in the tri-series against India and South Africa in April and May. Despite being only four games into her ODI career, she has already scalped 11 wickets at an average of 18.81 and strike-rate of 21.1. The offspinner troubled South Africa in her two outings in the tri-series against them taking 8 wickets against them. She has already picked up a five-fer and in Colombo, the young offspinner could trouble many batters against the turning ball.
Marquee match - India
For the co-hosts, Sri Lanka, the opening game in India against India could define how their campaign pans out for the rest of the mega event. Since 2022, Sri Lanka have only defeated India once, which was in the tri-series earlier this year. A win against one of the teams to beat in the competition at the very start would not only cause jolts for the rest of the opponents but give Sri Lanka a psychological boost in pursuit of that maiden semi-final.
Where they finished in 2022: Sri Lanka did not participate in the 2022 Women's World Cup in New Zealand.
Predicted finish: League Stage- Sri Lanka could come up well short against the powerhouses of India, Australia and England. Falling on the wrong side of the result in a couple of their other fixtures could mean curtains for their World Cup campaign.
Full league stage schedule:
Sri Lanka vs India, Tuesday, September 30, Guwahati
Sri Lanka vs Australia, Saturday, October 4, Colombo
Sri Lanka vs England, Saturday, October 11, Colombo
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, Tuesday, October 14, Colombo
Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Friday, October 17, Colombo
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Monday, October 20, Navi Mumbai
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, Friday, October 24, Colombo
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