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Chamari Athapaththu out of WPL 2025 : Chamari Athapaththu will be unavailable for the final leg of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025, as she is set to join the Sri Lankan squad for their white-ball tour of New Zealand. The series begins on March 4 in Napier. Her departure marks a second major setback for the UP Warriors (UPW), who are already without their regular captain, Alyssa Healy, due to injury.
Athapaththu’s Last Matches in WPL 2025
According to an ESPN Cricinfo report, Athapaththu will continue playing for UPW until February 26, covering four more matches before she heads for national duty. Her final game for the team will be against Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru. After that, UPW will shift to Lucknow for their last three league-stage matches.
Notably, UPW has played only one match so far, where Athapaththu was left out of the playing XI in their loss to Gujarat Giants. Despite this, she remains a key player for Sri Lanka, having been named captain of the 16-member squad announced by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Monday. The team is scheduled to leave for New Zealand on February 22 to play three ODIs and three T20Is.
New Zealand to Miss Amelia Kerr
New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, the only Kiwi player participating in WPL 2025, will miss the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. She is committed to playing the entire WPL season, including the knockout stage, if Mumbai Indians qualify.
If MI reaches the final on March 15, Kerr will also be absent for the first two T20Is against Sri Lanka in Christchurch on March 14 and 16. This isn’t the first time Kerr has prioritized franchise cricket—she had also skipped the T20 series against England last year to stay for the full WPL season.
No More Scheduling Clashes with WPL in the Future
To address scheduling conflicts between international cricket and major T20 leagues, some cricket boards, including the ECB, have assured players that future international fixtures will not clash with the WPL.
As per the newly structured Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), the WPL will shift from its current February-March slot to January-February starting in 2026. Additionally, the FTP has created exclusive windows for other major leagues like The Hundred (August) and WBBL (November) until 2029, ensuring fewer clashes between national commitments and franchise tournaments.
