Sri Lanka’s team leader and UP Warriorz athlete Chamari Athapaththu shared her thoughts on Tuesday, expressing surprise at initially not being chosen during the WPL auction for the second season. However, she highlighted that rejections serve as a source of motivation for her.
Despite being the captain of the ‘ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year 2023’ and ranking as the second-highest scorer in the Women’s Big Bash League, Athapaththu found herself excluded from the auction held in December. Nevertheless, she was later enlisted by UP Warriorz following the withdrawal of England’s Lauren Bell from the WPL.
In a virtual interaction, Athapaththu remarked, “I was not shocked, I was surprised because they didn’t pick me after the auction but these things are not in my control.” She emphasized focusing on aspects within her control, such as her batting and bowling performances, rather than dwelling on external decisions made by coaches or management.
“I always think about what I can control, I can control my batting and my bowling. I take these decisions in good spirit and do my best. If someone asks me, ‘are you coming?’ Then I say, ‘okay, I’ll come’. If someone requests, I can accept that request,” explained Athapaththu, whose ODI batting average was nearly 70 last year.
Athapaththu revealed that she thrives in adverse situations, using rejections as fuel to prove doubters wrong. “Actually, rejection is some kind of motivation for me. It’s good for me because sometimes I can learn and I want to show what I can do,” she expressed.
Her philosophy revolves around challenging the notion of impossibility. “If someone says it can’t be done, be the first to do it — that’s my philosophy. I just want to prove what I can do. I got the opportunity in WBBL (at the) last minute as a replacement player. I grabbed that opportunity with both hands,” concluded the Sri Lankan star.