Just over a month after being snubbed at the WBBL overseas draft, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has been signed by Sydney Thunder as an overseas replacement player for the upcoming tournament. Athapaththu was not at first chosen in the debut WBBL draft regardless of having played four seasons in the WBBL for both Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Mavericks. She was a maintenance choice for Mavericks yet they chose Hayley Matthews and Harmanpreet Kaur prior to marking Tammy Beaumont after the draft was finished. Athapaththu spread the word about her dissatisfaction at being disregarded via online entertainment amidst creating a player-of-the-series execution for Sri Lanka against Britain in Britain. In any case, Thunder have come calling, adding the accomplished left-hander to the crew as cover for the three abroad players they have drafted in Marizanne Kapp, Heather Knight and Lauren Chime. Knight has been named chief of Roar for the impending season while Athapaththu and Kapp played together at Scorchers in their 2021 WBBL title run. Thunder start their mission with a neighborhood derby against Sydney Sixers at North Sydney Oval on October 22.