Fatima Sana’s double act not enough as Sri Lanka hold nerve to reach final
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka (134/6 in 18.4 ovs) beat Pakistan (130/5 in 20 ovs) by four wickets to reach Women’s Asia Cup final. (Fatima Sana 47*, 4/38)
Fatima Sana produced a superb all-round effort, but it ultimately went in vain as defending champions Sri Lanka held their nerve to beat Pakistan by four wickets and reach the Women’s Asia Cup final on Friday.
Sri Lanka will now face India in a repeat of the 2024 final, with Harmanpreet Kaur’s side eyeing a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title. The hosts, meanwhile, will look to defend the crown they won for the first time in the previous edition.
SL vs PAK, Women’s Asia Cup semifinal: Highlights | Scorecard
SRI LANKA STAGE COMEBACK
Chasing 131, Sri Lanka found themselves in deep trouble early in the innings. Pakistan reduced the hosts to 33/4 in 6.2 overs, putting themselves in a strong position to pull off an upset.
Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari then made a crucial recovery. The duo shared a 67-run partnership for the fifth wicket to bring Sri Lanka back into the contest.
Samarawickrama scored 36 off 31 balls, while Dilhari made 33 from 33 deliveries. Their partnership took Sri Lanka to 100 before Pakistan struck again.
Fatima Sana dismissed both batters in the same over, leaving Sri Lanka at 109/6 and needing 22 runs from the final three overs. With the pressure mounting and Pakistan sensing another twist, Sri Lanka needed their lower order to deliver.
Nilakshika Silva and Kaushini Nuthyangana did exactly that. Silva remained unbeaten on 13, while Nuthyangana finished on 14 not out as the pair guided Sri Lanka across the finish line with eight balls to spare.
SANA’S FIGHTING EFFORT
Earlier, Pakistan had also endured a difficult start after being sent in to bat. They slipped to 52/4 inside 10 overs before Fatima Sana launched a counterattack.
The Pakistan captain remained unbeaten on 47 from 36 balls, steering her team to 130/5 and giving them a total they could defend. She then followed it up with four wickets for 32 runs, including the key dismissals of Samarawickrama and Dilhari.
However, her individual brilliance was not enough to carry Pakistan over the line.
The defeat means there will be no India-Pakistan final in the tournament. Instead, Sri Lanka have earned another shot at India after their memorable triumph in the 2024 edition.
Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets in the previous final to claim their maiden Women’s Asia Cup title. India will now have the opportunity to avenge that defeat when the two sides meet in Sunday’s summit clash.
India have been the dominant team in the tournament so far, winning all four of their matches. They topped the group stage with three victories before beating Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semifinal.
Sri Lanka’s hard-fought victory over Pakistan has now set up another chapter in their growing rivalry with India, with the defending champions one win away from retaining their crown.
– Ends
