[Watch] Chamari Athapaththu shares an emotional moment with ailing mother after Sri Lanka's emphatic Women's Asia Cup 2024 triumph
Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu was seen having an emotional exchange with her ailing mother following the hosts' triumph in the 2024 Women's Asia Cup. Sri Lanka stunned India by eight wickets in the final of the tournament played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday, July 28 to lift the trophy for the first time.
Batting first after winning the toss, India put up 165-6 on the board as Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 60 off 47 balls. In the chase, the Lankans cruised home in 18.4 overs as Harshitha Samarawickrama top-scored with 69* off 51, while skipper Athapaththu herself contributed 61 off 43, hitting nine fours and two sixes.
A video of the Sri Lankan captain hugging and kissing her mother following the win has gone viral on social media. As per Female Cricket's X handle, soon after the press conference for the final got over, Athapaththu rushed to meet her mom and hugged her.
Watch the video below
The 34-year-old is also seen holding the Women's Asia Cup trophy in her hand during the heartfelt interaction.
Chamari Athapaththu was the Player of the Tournament in the Women's Asia Cup 2024
Athapaththu led from the front for Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup. She finished the T20 tournament as the leading run-getter, with 304 runs from five innings at an average of 101.33 and a strike rate of 146.86.
The Sri Lankan captain created history when she smashed 119* off 69 balls against Malaysia, becoming the first batter to score a hundred in the Women's Asia Cup. After the match, she also spoke about her ailing mother and said (as quoted by India Today):
“I am really happy because I played good cricket to showcase my skills. The main reason is that my mother was present to see me batting. After 13 years, she was in the family box here in Dambulla. She couldn’t see matches due to illness and came back to see matches, and she encouraged me to do well. She has sacrificed a lot for me. Thank you very much, my loving mother."
The veteran left-handed batter continued her great form with the willow in the team’s remaining Asia Cup games as well. She smashed 49* off 35 against Thailand in a group game, 63 off 48 in the semifinal against Pakistan and 61 off 43 in the final against India.