Sri Lanka Women’s captain calls herself failed leader

Sri Lanka Women’s captain Chamari Athapaththu has described herself as a failed captain following her team’s defeat to the West Indies in a crucial match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

In the match played in Bristol, Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 98 runs. The West Indies successfully chased the target with five wickets down and 23 balls to spare.

The defeat marked Sri Lanka’s second loss in three matches of the tournament, leaving them in fifth place in Group B.

Speaking after the match, opening batter Chamari Athapaththu said that despite representing her country for 18 years, she has never been able to lead Sri Lanka to a Women’s World Cup semi-final.

She said that while she has achieved many personal milestones, she considers herself a failure as a captain because she has been unable to guide her team to the knockout stages of a World Cup, which is deeply disappointing for any player.

Athapaththu, who scored only two runs against the West Indies, also expressed regret over her own performance. She admitted that she should have played with greater responsibility and felt that Sri Lanka might have won the match had she batted better.