When Love Made Shashikala Bat On!

"Behind the success of every man is a woman" but for Shashikala Siriwardena, it was the other way round! With today being Valentine's Day, why not tell a little story which happened somewhere down her amazing cricketing career?

Born on a day like this in 1985, the future Sri Lanka Women's captain found inspiration in her brother playing cricket and got her interested in the sport thanks to her supportive father. Her alma mater President's College Kotte didn't have Cricket at the time, so she was introduced to the Palink Sports Club at the age of 12 to pursue her dream of playing cricket.

The Youngest Captain in Sri Lanka Women's Cricket

It was in the year 2003 when she made her debut for Sri Lanka as an 18 year old against West Indies. It didn't take very long for her leadership skills to be recognized alongside with her all round capabilities as captaincy came to Shashikala just two months before her 21st birthday in 2005.

This made her the youngest Sri Lankan Women's Cricket captain and for a long time, the third youngest WODIs captain of all time but now 4th youngest with Al Chudasama from USA overtaking everyone as the youngest captain .

A Decision to Reconsider...

Soon after getting married in 2013, she decided for herself that she will hang her Cricket boots but it was her husband Namal Seneviratne who convinced her to continue with Cricket. Many times she has said her secret behind her success was her supportive husband, who is also a first class cricketer and coach.

Eventually, she retired in 2020 with the longest career for a Sri Lanka Women's Cricketer of 17 years, proving that when you love the right person, they will support you towards achieving your goals even when you doubt yourself!

Achievements that Speak Loud

Among her many achievements in International Cricket, she is one of 10 Women's Cricketers to have scored over 2000 runs and taken 100+ wickets in WODIs. She is the leading wicket taker in WODIs for Sri Lanka and the only one to take 200 combined wickets in WODIs and WT20Is.

She was also once the the No.1 ranked all rounder in WT20Is, a first No.1 ranked Women's Cricketer for Sri Lanka in any department and the most successful leader in Women's ODI Cricket with the most number of wins including the historic win against England at the 2013 Women's World Cup.

A Well Respected Legend of the "Gentlemen's Game"

Post retirement, she was the Head Coach of Sri Lanka U19 Women's Cricket before migrating to Australia with her husband still continues to play cricket. The 'Mother Figure' of Sri Lanka Women's Cricket as she is known, she is well respected among international cricketers with many girls finding inspiration in her.

Here's to wishing our former captain Shashikala on her 40th birthday today!