Sri Lanka Cricket Awards 2025: Athapaththu and Nissanka Claim Top Cricketer of the Year Honors
Sri Lanka Cricket staged its Annual Awards ceremony on Thursday, August 6, celebrating standout national and domestic performances from the 2025 calendar year across Test, ODI, and T20I formats. National captains and key contributors were celebrated, with Chamari Athapaththu and Pathum Nissanka headlining the evening by winning the Women’s and Men’s Cricketer of the Year awards respectively.
What Happened
The annual event evaluated contributions across all three international formats for 2025 while also recognizing achievements in domestic cricket and honoring legendary figures for lifelong contributions to the sport. Pathum Nissanka secured the Men’s Cricketer of the Year award after accumulating an aggregate of 1,414 runs across all formats at an average of 40.40. On the women’s side, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured multiple awards alongside the primary Women’s Cricketer of the Year title.
Key Highlights
- Top Honors: Pathum Nissanka and Chamari Athapaththu were crowned Men’s and Women’s Cricketers of the Year for 2025.
- Men’s Batting Awards: Nissanka won the best batter awards in Tests (388 runs in five innings, including two centuries) and T20Is (625 runs in 18 matches at a strike rate of 149.16). Charith Asalanka was named the best ODI batter with 494 runs at an average of 44.90.
- Men’s Bowling and All-Round Honors: Prabath Jayasuriya won best Test bowler (15 wickets in seven innings), while Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva took best Test allrounder. Asitha Fernando claimed best ODI bowler (23 wickets in 12 matches), and Dushmantha Chameera received best T20I bowler (22 wickets in 14 matches). Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka won the ODI and T20I allrounder awards respectively.
- Women’s Category Winners: Athapaththu collected the ODI and T20I allrounder awards, best ODI bowler award (13 wickets in 11 innings), and best T20I batter award (190 runs in seven innings). Harshitha Samarawickrama won best ODI batter (441 runs in 13 innings), and Kavisha Dilhari earned best T20I bowler (eight wickets in eight innings).
- Emerging Players of the Year: Kamil Mishara, 25, took the Men’s Emerging Player award following a 336-run T20I campaign as an opener, while Imesha Dulani, 24, won the Women’s Emerging Player award after scoring 106 runs in three T20I innings and an unbeaten 101 off 64 deliveries against Pakistan.
Why This Matters
The awards reflect the primary performers who carried Sri Lanka across formats during 2025. Nissanka’s milestone year established him as a multi-format pillar, recording career-best productivity in T20Is alongside consistent red-ball returns. Athapaththu’s multiple trophies across batting, bowling, and all-round categories emphasize her central role in the national team’s setup, while recognition for Mishara and Dulani highlights emerging talent breaking into the international ranks.
What to Watch Next
Performances from emerging award recipients such as Kamil Mishara, who continues his form in the ongoing Lanka Premier League, will remain in focus as Sri Lanka’s domestic and international schedules progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Men’s and Women’s Cricketer of the Year awards?
Pathum Nissanka won the Men’s Cricketer of the Year, and Chamari Athapaththu won the Women’s Cricketer of the Year at the 2025 Sri Lanka Cricket Annual Awards.
Which awards did Chamari Athapaththu win at the ceremony?
Athapaththu won Women’s Cricketer of the Year, the ODI and T20I allrounder awards, the best ODI bowler award, and the best T20I batter award.
Who were named the Emerging Players of the Year?
Kamil Mishara was named the Men’s Emerging Player of the Year, and Imesha Dulani received the Women’s Emerging Player of the Year award.
Source: Crictracker