Following a five-wicket defeat to West Indies in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu made an emotional admission, calling herself a ‘failure as a captain’. She expressed deep regret for her performance and the team’s likely group-stage exit, stating the pain is a burden she will have to carry.
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu made a massive admission following the team’s five-wicket defeat in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group B match against West Indies at the County Cricket Ground in Bristol on Sunday, June 21.
Sri Lanka had a dismal outing with the bat as they were bundled out for 99 before the West Indies comfortably chased down the target, reaching 99/5 in 16.1 overs, sealing a crucial five-wicket victory. Despite the efforts of their bowlers, especially Kavisha Dilhari and Nimasha Meepage, Sri Lanka could not defend the modest total.
The defeat against the Caribbean side has put Sri Lanka on the brink of elimination, leaving their fate in the tournament effectively out of their own hands as they stare at an early group-stage exit.
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‘I’m a Failure as a Captain’
Speaking at the post-match presentation following the defeat to West Indies, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was visibly emotional as she took full responsibility for the team’s dismal campaign and her own underwhelming performances. She even admitted that her captaincy failure is a burden she will have to carry.
“Actually, it’s a sadness beyond words. I think I played around 18 years for the national team, and I could never get a chance to take my team into a semi-final of a World Cup.” the 36-year-old said.
“Even though I have achieved many things personally, I think I’m a failure as a captain, because I think that’s a big pain for a player. Actually, now I have to be with that pain,” she added.
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Chamari Athapaththu is playing her 10th consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup and is leading Sri Lanka in the fifth consecutive edition of the tournament. However, the veteran Sri Lankan cricketer couldn’t take her team past the group stage in previous editions of the marquee event.
Currently, Sri Lanka are in a situation where their mathematical chances of reaching the semi-finals are hanging by a thread, relying heavily on other improbable results in Group B to avoid an early exit.
‘I Feel Like I Lost My Last Chance’
Further speaking on her performance, Chamari Athapaththu admitted that she should have played more responsibly than she did, expressing deep regret that she couldn’t deliver when her team needed her the most.
“I think I tried my best, I think I should have played more responsibly than this, and if I have played more responsibly than this today, we could have won this match today. So, I regret that,” Athapaththu said.
“Especially, I don’t like to blame anyone, and I think I have more responsibility as a player, as the captain of the team, and as a player with more experience. So, I’m very sad, I feel like I lost my last chance,” she added.
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Sri Lanka have remaining group-stage matches against Ireland and Scotland. These fixtures will now be pride games as they attempt to salvage some pride from an otherwise disappointing campaign in the United Kingdom.
Currently, Sri Lanka are at the fifth spot with a win and two losses, and at the mercy of other teams’ results, meaning they can no longer qualify for the semi-finals purely on their own merit.
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