Sri Lanka enters the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 with new ambitions as they field a squad combining experienced heads with young talent. Having missed the previous edition, the Islands now look to take full advantage of being a co-host of this edition and to announce the coming of time for Sri Lankan cricket on the global stage. The tournament also brings into focus some key individuals whose potential performances may ultimately direct Sri Lanka’s destiny in this highly competitive setup.
With a group having batting and bowling dynamism, Sri Lanka will hope to mix between experience and youthful zeal. Success will disengage on any player coming forward and pacifying match-winning performances and leading from the front. Among them, the following three stand out with proven skill and potential to project the World Cup spotlight on them.
Sri Lanka players to watch out for:
1. Chamari Athapaththu
Chamari Athapaththu still really is at the core of the Sri Lanka Women cricket team, leading from the front as captain and as an all-rounder. She has scored 3,877 runs in 115 Women’s One Day Internationals (WODIs) at an average of 35.24. Her batting record boasts 9 hundreds and 19 fifties.
Demonstrating the capability of playing consistent and match-winning innings, she has an aggressive batting style, with a highest score of 195 not out against South Africa in 2024-the second-highest individual score in women’s ODI cricket. Apart from her batting, she has 45 ODI wickets to her name, making her a genuine all-rounder.
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As captain, Athapaththu has guided Sri Lanka through some of the most historic phases of women’s cricket, including their maiden bilateral ODI series win over New Zealand in 2023 when she recorded two centuries in the series and was adjudged player of the series
The hallmark of her leadership has been resilience combined with tactical savvy, galvanizing a team of mixed youth and experience. Often, her performances set the tempo for the team-whether with dynamic opening batting or with significant breakthroughs with her right-arm off-spin. The 2025 Women’s World Cup may very well become another stage where Athapaththu’s experience, skill, and leadership will be critical to Sri Lanka’s hopes of making a big splash on home soil.
2. Harshitha Samarawickrama
Harshitha Samarawickrama has established a reputation as an important all-rounder in the Sri Lanka Women’s ODIs. She has played in 41 matches, aggregating 1,075 runs at an average of 30.71. These runs include 5 half-centuries and a highest score of 105, pointing to her ability to hold the innings together with steady displays or chip in with an important contribution when the team is under pressure. With a strike rate of 69.85, Samarawickrama balances between aggression and patience, either setting the stage for her team or sealing the innings with crucial runs.
Unlike figures, her classy shots and superb game awareness have rendered her a dependable asset for Sri Lanka. She has gained brilliance in tournaments such as the Asia Cup and the Tri-Nation ODI Series, where the formation of meaningful partnerships has often been vital on her account. As a true all-rounder, she carries flexibility and calmness under pressure-a precious commodity for Sri Lanka as they aspire for a sturdy performance at the World Cup.
Her recent form and experience will definitely place her in the spotlight, especially alongside the more experienced leaders in the team, such as Chamari Athapaththu.
3. Dewmi Vihanga
One amongst the blooming and promising young all-rounders who have made a mark in international women’s cricket in recent years is Dewmi Vihanga. Having made her ODI debut in 2025 at the beginning of the year, she has already given us glimpses of her potential through her key performances in a handful of WODI matches. Dewmi has scored 21 runs from 4 ODIs so far, having made her debut earlier this year, with a highest score of 16. It is her bowling that makes her truly stand out with wicket-taking ability. Dewmi has taken 11 wickets in these 4 matches, too, at an average cost of just 18.81, including a five-wicket haul (5/43), signaling her capability to tear through batting line-ups with her right-arm off-spin.
There were moments when she came to her team’s aid in big situations, almost sparkling magic during the Sri-Lanka Women’s Tri-Nation Series in 2025, her bowling demolishing well-timed breakthroughs to oppose teams like South Africa and India.
The maiden-half spare maiden bowling along with a commendable strike rate and several multiple-wicket-innings implies the very balance needed in the Sri Lankan bowling attack. As she grows more confident and begins to earn more experience on the international stage, Dewmi Vihanga, with her all-around skills, comes forth as a very late key player to watch for Sri Lanka, whose performances in tight home contests could prove decisive during the Women’s World Cup 2025.
Sri Lanka is entering the Women’s World Cup 2025 with a host of senior and youthful talent, with Chamari Athapaththu spearheading the charge. Playing the tournament on familiar subcontinent pitches and backed by fervent home support, the team stands a genuine chance of upsetting the big sides for some memorable moments.
With the likes of Harshitha Samarawickrama and Dewmi Vihanga supporting their captain’s brilliant leadership and all-around cricketing skills, Sri Lanka looks set to make some noise in this tournament and bring hope to the women’s cricketing fraternity in the country. It will be a good trial for their guts, skills, and teamwork, as they aspire to start a new chapter that comprises positive footnotes in the history of Sri Lankan cricket.
