‘We can beat any team’ – Chamari Athapaththu exudes confidence ahead of Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final vs India

Sri Lanka will face unbeaten India in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final on Sunday, September 13, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The defending champions earned their place in the final after defeating Pakistan by four wickets in the semi-final, with Pakistan scoring 130 for 5 and Sri Lanka reaching 134 for 6 with eight balls to spare.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu expressed her team’s confidence ahead of the final clash. Speaking after the semi-final victory, Athapaththu highlighted her squad’s strength in both batting and bowling departments.

“We have good finishers like Harshitha, Nilakshika, Kavisha. Most of the players are playing really good, even the bowling unit. So we have good players. So if we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team,” Athapaththu said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

Batting depth and bowling strength impress Athapaththu

The semi-final against Pakistan showcased Sri Lanka’s batting depth. Harshitha Samarawickrama scored 36 off 31 deliveries, while a partnership between Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari yielded 67 runs off 59 balls, proving crucial in the chase.

Athapaththu praised the performance of her bowling unit and the way her batters handled pressure situations. She acknowledged that while some catches were dropped in the field, the overall bowling performance was strong and the batting display from younger players was particularly impressive.

“As a bowling unit, we did really good, and we dropped a couple of catches when we were fielding, but we did really good. And the way the batters batted, it’s amazing to watch, because the youngsters (are) doing really good. That’s a very good thing for the team and the nation as well,” Athapaththu said.

Athapaththu’s tournament performance

Athapaththu specifically highlighted the partnership between Harshitha and Kavisha in the semi-final as a match-winning effort under pressure. She noted how both players absorbed the pressure, took singles and played quality cricket when it mattered most.

“The way Harshitha and Kavisha batted, it’s amazing. They absorbed the pressure, they took singles and played really good. Under pressure, that partnership was match-winning,” Athapaththu stated.

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Athapaththu has been a standout performer throughout the tournament, emerging as the highest wicket-taker with 11 scalps. She struck early in the semi-final, removing Shawaal Zulfiqar and Ayesha Zafar in her first two overs. Earlier in the tournament, Athapaththu took career-best figures of 7 for 5 against Indonesia, including a hat-trick. However, her batting form hasn’t been great. Sri Lanka would want their captain to fire on all cylinders with both bat and ball in the final against a rampant Indian side.