Sri Lanka has booked its place in the Women’s Asia Cup final for the third time in a row after a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Pakistan in the semifinal held in Dubai on Friday, September 11. Despite a standout individual performance from Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, who claimed 4 for 38 and remained unbeaten on 47 off 36 balls, Sri Lanka’s depth proved decisive as they chased down the target of 131 with eight balls to spare.
Pakistan’s innings began cautiously after they were sent in to bat. While Shawaal Zulfiqar provided early momentum with a rapid 24 off 16 balls, the team struggled to maintain consistency. Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu was instrumental with the ball, finishing with 2 for 24, while Chamudi Praboda also chipped in with 2 for 25. Pakistan reached 52 for 4 by the 10-over mark, and despite a 38-run partnership between Sana and Tuba Hassan, they could only manage a total of 130 for 5.
The Sri Lankan chase faced an immediate crisis. Fatima Sana struck twice in the second over, dismissing Athapaththu for 5 and Sanjana Kavindi for a duck. The situation worsened when Sadia Iqbal removed Hasini Perera for 3, and Umm-e-Hani claimed the wicket of Imesha Dulani for 22. By the seventh over, Sri Lanka was reeling at 35 for 4, forcing a rebuild.
Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari steadied the ship with a crucial partnership, bringing the score to 53 for 4 at the halfway point. The duo accelerated in the following overs, notably taking 22 runs off Tuba Hassan’s first two overs. Their 50-run stand off 42 balls shifted the momentum, leaving Sri Lanka needing 36 runs from the final 30 deliveries.
The 17th over proved dramatic as Sana returned to the attack, dismissing Samarawickrama and then Dilhari, who was controversially given out leg-before despite an apparent glove. With 22 runs required from 18 balls, Nilakshika Silva hit a vital boundary off Sadia Iqbal. Kaushani Nuthyangana then struck a massive six off a high full-toss from Sana, and Nilakshika sealed the victory with a final boundary.
The final scorecard saw Pakistan finish at 130/5, while Sri Lanka reached 134/6 in 18.4 overs. This result confirms an India-Sri Lanka final, maintaining the defending champions’ unbeaten streak in the tournament. The report also notes that fatima Sana’s all-round show (47* off 36 and 4 for 38) went in vain as Sri Lanka came up with a collective effort – led by Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari – to surpass Pakistan’s 130 for 5 with 8 deliveries. The report also notes that with Tuba Hassan at the receiving end as she conceded 22 in her first two overs, the game swung in the next few overs as Dilhari and Samarawickrama struck some much-needed boundaries. The report also notes that the fifth wicket pair raised a half-century stand in 42 balls and brought down the equation to 36 off 30. The report also notes that which became 13 off 12 as Nilakshika struck an important boundary off Sadia, sri Lanka needed 22 off 18.
