Harshitha Samarawickrama Joins Trinbago Knight Riders, Replaces Injured Meg Lanning

Sri Lanka's Harshitha Samarawickrama replaces Meg Lanning at Trinbago Knight Riders in WCPL 2024. She joins international players including Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues. Samarawickrama's recent stellar performances include back-to-back fifties and a century, making her one of Sri Lanka's premier batters.

Sri Lanka batter Harshitha Samarawickrama has been named as the replacement for the injured Australian star Meg Lanning at Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) 2024. The prolific left-hander will now join overseas talents like Shikha Pandey, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Jess Jonassen at TKR. This move makes Samarawickrama just the second Sri Lankan woman to play in an overseas league after captain Chamari Athapaththu.

Samarawickrama's recent form has been nothing short of spectacular. She spearheaded Sri Lanka's batting in the Women's Asia Cup final, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 51 balls, a performance that was instrumental in clinching the team's first-ever Asia Cup title. In her latest international outing against Ireland, she continued her blistering form with two consecutive fifties in the T20I series.

Furthermore, Samarawickrama cemented her status as one of Sri Lanka's top batters by becoming the third Sri Lankan woman to score an ODI century. With 1463 runs in 65 T20Is at a strike rate of 99.72, she stands as a formidable force in the shortest format of the game. Meanwhile, Meg Lanning, recovering from injury, recently played for London Spirit in The Hundred. As Samarawickrama steps into the WCPL spotlight, Athapaththu is set to make waves in the Women's Big Bash League, having signed a three-season deal with Sydney Thunder following a stellar performance last season.

(With inputs from agencies.)