'I think I'm a failure as a captain' - Chamari Athapaththu

After Sri Lanka's Women's T20 World Cup defeat to West Indies, Chamari Athapaththu expressed deep regret at potentially missing out on yet another semi-final spot. She believes that she has "failed as a captain." After losing by five wickets, Athapaththu was devastated and felt "sadness beyond words." They now have two points from three games and a very slim chance of making it through. However, Athapaththu's regret was not limited to this tournament; it was the culmination of 18 years of personal accomplishments that have failed to translate into national glory. Athapaththu took the blame for their most recent defeat. She stated in the press conference that followed the match, "It's sadness beyond words." "I think I played for the national team for about 18 years, but I never got the chance to lead my team to the World Cup semifinals. Despite my personal accomplishments, I believe I am a failure as a captain. That, in my opinion, is a significant hardship for a player. In fact, I now have to bear that pain." Athapaththu was one of three batters to fall inside the first three overs, as Sri Lanka were reduced to 9/3, eventually managing 98 all out. In the brief chase, West Indies never appeared to be in too much trouble despite losing five wickets. They are the favorites to advance to the semifinals in Group B and are level with England with three wins in three. After beating the defending champions, New Zealand, Sri Lanka plays Scotland and Ireland in their next two games, and two big wins could still keep them in the race. For the time being, they are ranked fifth in the group. Athapaththu acknowledged, "I think I tried my best, I think I should have played more responsibly than this." "We could have won this match today if I played with more responsibility than I did today. So, I'm sorry about that, especially because I don't like to blame anyone and believe I have more responsibility as a player, captain, and experienced player. I feel like I've lost my last chance, so I'm very sad. Athapaththu has been a part of every edition in which Sri Lanka has failed to advance beyond the first round since 2009. She has always been at the forefront of the team as their highest run-getter in the format and captain in the last six editions; however, the most recent defeat may have ended her final attempt to improve their record. Sri Lanka has won 49 matches and lost 62 under her leadership in 114 matches. Harmanpreet Kaur (145) is the only player who has led their team in more Women's T20Is. In 2028, Pakistan will host the T20 World Cup, and Athapaththu remained secretive about her plans beyond the current event. She stated, "For the time being, I can't give any explanation about that, because I'm 36 years old." That's being decided, so fitness and all. As a result, I make every effort to maintain high levels of skill and physical fitness. "I will play in the future if the team wants me to, but it will be decided based on my performance level and fitness level if I play or not."