Sri Lanka Women Beat Pakistan by Six Wickets in T20I Opener
Sri Lanka Women defeated Pakistan Women by six wickets in the opening T20 International in Dambulla on Friday, successfully chasing 177 with an over to spare. The hosts reached 177 for four in 19 overs to take a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series after Pakistan had posted a competitive 176 for seven.
Pakistan were sent in to bat and made an encouraging start through their opening partnership, which produced 66 runs and established a platform for a sizeable total. Captain Muneeba Ali set an aggressive tempo, striking 42 from only 24 deliveries with nine boundaries before Sri Lanka broke the stand.
The visitors maintained their momentum through Shawaal Zulfiqar and Iman Nasir, who added 61 runs and carried Pakistan to 127. Shawaal emerged as Pakistan’s leading scorer with 63, while Iman contributed 21 and Ayesha Zafar added 17 as the middle order attempted to accelerate during the closing overs.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers responded by taking wickets at regular intervals late in the innings, preventing Pakistan from converting their strong position into a total closer to 190. Kavisha Dilhari claimed two wickets, while Kavya Kavindi, Sugandika Kumari and Chamudi Praboda each removed one batter as Pakistan finished on 176 for seven from their allotted 20 overs.
The chase was defined by a commanding unbeaten century from opener Imesha Dulani, who produced a match-winning 101 under the pressure of a demanding target. Her innings gave Sri Lanka stability throughout the pursuit and ensured the required scoring rate remained manageable even when Pakistan managed to create occasional openings.
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu provided crucial support with 39, helping the hosts seize control during the early stages of the chase. The combination of Athapaththu’s attacking approach and Dulani’s sustained dominance left Pakistan’s bowlers with little margin for error as Sri Lanka closed in on the target.
Nashra Sandhu was Pakistan’s most successful bowler with two wickets, while Hamna Bilal and Umm-e-Hani took one each. However, the visitors were unable to generate enough pressure through dot balls or consecutive breakthroughs, allowing Sri Lanka to complete the chase with six deliveries unused.
The result will prompt Pakistan to review both the final phase of their batting innings and their execution with the ball. Despite putting up a challenging score, the visitors lost momentum near the end of their innings and then struggled to contain Sri Lanka’s leading batters during a decisive run chase.
For Pakistan, the series remains recoverable, but the margin for error has narrowed. The team will need a stronger bowling response and more disciplined fielding in the second match to prevent Sri Lanka from securing the series before the final fixture.
The second T20 International is scheduled for August 2, followed by the third and final match on August 4 in Dambulla. Pakistan must win the next contest to level the series, while Sri Lanka will aim to build on Dulani’s century and seal the contest with a match to spare.