Atapattu to return as captain against Indian women’s cricket tour

Atapattu, the team’s most prolific batsman, missed the team’s previous international assignment – the Asia Cup T20 in June – with dengue, but has since recovered and featured in a full Women’s Super League season for Yorkshire Diamonds.

Among the new faces, batsman Imalka Mendis has returned to the ODI squad for the first time in more than two years, while the selectors have also retained 17-year-old allrounder Kavisha Dilhari, who made her ODI debut against Pakistan.

Overall, the selectors have retained 10 players from Sri Lanka’s 2017 World Cup campaign, showing their push for continuity as they build towards the next four-year cycle under new coach Harsha de Silva. The former first-class cricketer was appointed on a two-year contract last month following Hemantha Devapriya’s resignation.

Sri Lanka are currently placed eighth and are winless in six Women’s Championship matches – against Pakistan and West Indies. They have now lost 12 of their last 13 ODIs, a streak that stretches back to last year’s World Cup.

India, runners up in that tournament, are currently sixth, having won two of their six matches.

Galle will host the first two ODIs, on September 11 and 13, before the series moves to the Moors Cricket Club ground on the outskirts of Colombo for the final match on September 16.

The teams will then play five T20Is to round off the tour.

SRI LANKA SQUAD: Chamari Attapattu (captain), Prasadani Weerakkody, Anushka Sanjeewani, Nipuni Hansika, Hasini Perera, Dilani Manodara, Shashikala Siriwardena, Nilakshi De Silva, Imalka Mendis, Sripalee Weerakkodi, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhini, Ama Kanchana, Kavisha Dilhari.

The tour itinerary is given below.