‘The conditions were mentally draining’ – Vishmi Gunaratne
Following their 10-wicket thrashing against South Africa in their rain-marred fifth Women’s World Cup fixture at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Friday night, young
Sri Lankan opener Vishmi Gunaratne admitted that the conditions were mentally draining.
The contest in Colombo was interrupted by showers, stretching for over five hours and eventually being reduced to a truncated affair that tested both teams’ patience and adaptability.
“We can’t control nature,” she said at the post-match press conference. “We just had to focus on what we could do when the umpires called. We had some plans, and we tried our best.”
When play finally resumed, Sri Lanka were left with just eight overs to complete their innings, an abrupt shift from the measured rhythm of a 50-over contest to the urgency of a T10-like sprint.
“At the end of the 12th over, we had only 46 runs on the board, so we wanted to reach somewhere around 120 to give a good fight to South Africa,” Vishmi explained. “It was like a T10 match. We just focused on one ball at a time.”
Despite the chaos, Vishmi looked calm and composed, batting through discomfort after recovering from a minor injury. “It’s nothing serious,” she assured reporters following her fighting 34.
“My doctor and physio helped me recover, and I played. Even if it had been a full 50-over game, I would have come out to bat for my country.”
That quiet determination underlined the 20-year-old’s growing stature in the side, not merely as a top-order batter, but as a steady voice of maturity in a team still finding its footing. Though her tournament returns have been modest, Vishmi’s recent performances have shown glimpses of renewed confidence.
“I had a bad period,” she admitted. “But I can’t control the things I can’t control. I just focus on what I can do to improve my game. I always remind myself to stay calm and play a cool, composed game.”
With two matches left in the group stage, Vishmi stressed the importance of finishing well. “We have to focus on our next match against Bangladesh on Monday,” she said.
“We want to finish in a good position in the World Cup.”