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Prior to the start of the WBBL 2024–25 on October 27, Sydney Thunder signed Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu as a pre-draft signing, securing his services for the following three seasons.
The fourth foreign spot on Thunder’s roster was occupied by Athapaththu, an undrafted player from the previous season. After scoring 552 runs at 42.46 and claiming nine wickets in Thunder’s fourth-place finish, she concluded the season with a Player-of-the-Tournament performance.
“Committing to Sydney Thunder for the next three seasons was an easy decision because I believe in the vision of this club, and I want to be part of its future success,” Athapaththu said.
“There’s so much to love about my Sydney Thunder family. My team-mates are not just colleagues; they are friends who push each other to be better every day, [which] is important to me. Western Sydney is the heart and soul of Sydney Thunder and representing such a diverse and vibrant community is a privilege to have. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I’m so excited for what’s ahead.”
Athapaththu has agreed to a multi-year contract with the WBBL, in contrast to past seasons when foreign players were only signed for a single season. It permits one foreign player to be signed by each club for a maximum of three years prior to the September 1 draft.
“Chamari is obviously an exceptional cricket player, but she is also an exceptional human being who is team first and fan first,” Sydney Thunder general manager Trent Copeland said. “We know other teams were interested in signing her, but we made every effort to ensure she came back. To see the way she embraced and engaged with our members and fans last summer was something pretty special and on the field she had one of the WBBL’s great seasons.”
Athapaththu had previously played for the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL. She was recruited to the Thunder club last season as a replacement for their three overseas players after not being chosen in the draft. On October 28, Thunder will play the Hobart Hurricanes in their 2024–25 season opener.