A dynamic batting all-rounder, Hansima Karunaratne shot to prominence when she posted an unbeaten score of 52 for Western Province against North Central Province in the final of the Sri Lankan domestic T20 competition in 2016. The Nivitigala-born all-rounder made her T20I and ODI debut against India in February 2016. On both occasions, she couldn’t provide much assistance to the Sri Lankan team either with the bowl or bat. Although Hansima is considered an all-rounder, she is more accomplished with the willow in hand. In Sri Lanka’s T20I series against England in March 2019, she scored 73 runs in two matches against an impressive English squad that made it into the finals of the 2018 T20 World Cup. Despite not yet taking a wicket in a T20I fixture, the Sumana Balika Vidyalaya alma mater has a decent economy and is impressive with the bowl in the death overs. Hansima put up some promising performances against the mighty Aussies in September-October 2019 which grabbed the eyeballs of the national selectors for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Eyeing upon her performances in the World Cup, she will hope to use her experiences in the upcoming fixtures and become the mainstay in the current squad. (As of April 2021)
