BIPIN DANI
Vishmi Gunarathne becomes the first Under-19 Women’s captain for the Sri Lankan team. The 17-year-old right-handed opening batter is leading the team for the India tour.
"Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board is sending the U-19 team for the first time overseas and obviously we are delighted with my daughter being named captain but this has "not surprised" us. No surprise since she already showed her talents``, her father Aruna Gunarathne, speaking exclusively over tge telephone from Colombo said on Wednesday evening.
Interestingly, the family is yet to congratulate Vishmi on this good news. "We got through the Sri Lanka Cricket Website and still have not talked to Vishmi since she is busy with her training".
"Very talented Girl is being selected to the Leadership and has proven this by achieving the champions in the All Island U 19 championship 2022 under her Captaincy. We want to see that my daughter is working hard to perform the best in any time by self motivation", he added further.
"Principal, MIC and Head Coach of the Rathnavali Balika Vidyalaya has calculated long time master plans to produce such talented cricketers.
Hashan Thilakarathna former National Coach and the U19 Head coach Shashikala Siriwardana are helping to develop her international cricket", the father concluded.
Sri Lanka's Under-19 Women’s Team arrived on India tour on November 9, 2022, to take part in a T20 quadrangular tournament involving India's U19 "A" and "B" teams and the West Indies Under-19.
