‘We Can Beat Any Team If We Execute Our Plans’: Athapaththu Ahead Of Women’s Asia Cup Final

By Pramit Meher

**Athapaththu: Execute the Plan and We Beat Anyone** Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu is backing her squad to go far in this Women's Asia Cup, and honestly, as a sports doc, I love seeing that kind of calm leadership—especially when the team's young guns are under pressure. **Semifinal recap:** SL chased down 131 against Pakistan but got pinned early, losing Athapaththu, Sanjana Kavindi and Hasini Perera inside the first 6 overs. That's brutal. But Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari stood tall, sharing a match-winning 67-run stand. No panic, no reckless hitting—just smart run-taking and absorbing the pressure. From a psychology standpoint, that composure under early collapse is exactly what separates good teams from champions. **What the skipper said:** *"We have good finishers like Harshitha, Nilakshika, Kavisha... if we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team."* She also flagged a small area to tighten up—SL dropped a couple of catches in the field—but was glowing about her young battery with the bat. **Looking ahead:** SL are in their second straight Asia Cup final. They take on India at Dubai International Stadium this Sun. Given the workload we've seen in this tournament, keeping those young arms managed will be key—another big match on the cards means recovery matters a lot. Good luck, SL. 🏏 Source: Cricketnmore