Pakistan Women Beat Sri Lanka by Four Wickets in Final T20I
DAMBULLA: Pakistan Women ended their tour of Sri Lanka with a morale-boosting four-wicket victory in the third and final Twenty20 International on Tuesday. Ayesha Zafar helped guide the chase after Pakistan’s bowlers restricted the hosts to 113 for six at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
Captain Muneeba Ali won the toss and elected to field, placing immediate responsibility on Pakistan’s bowling unit. Sri Lanka began positively but were unable to convert their promising start into a commanding total as the visitors tightened their lines, controlled the middle overs and struck at important stages.
Pakistan’s disciplined attack prevented the home batters from building the partnerships needed for a late acceleration. Regular wickets and improved fielding kept Sri Lanka to 113 runs from their allotted 20 overs, giving the visiting side a manageable target in its final match of the six-game white-ball tour.
The chase was not entirely straightforward, with Sri Lanka claiming six wickets and attempting to create pressure through their spinners. Ayesha played an important role in stabilising Pakistan’s innings, while contributions from the middle and lower order ensured the required rate remained under control despite periodic breakthroughs.
Pakistan completed the chase at 115 for six in 18.2 overs, reaching the target with 10 deliveries remaining. The result reflected a more composed batting effort than in the opening two T20Is, as the visitors avoided a late collapse and converted their strong bowling performance into victory.
The win allowed Pakistan to prevent a clean sweep after Sri Lanka had already secured the three-match T20I series by winning the first two encounters. Although the hosts took the series 2-1, Pakistan’s success in the final match provided a positive conclusion and highlighted the team’s ability to respond after consecutive defeats.
Sri Lanka had also won the preceding three-match One-Day International series by a 2-1 margin. Pakistan claimed the opening ODI before the hosts recovered to win the next two matches, meaning Sri Lanka finished the tour with victories in both formats despite losing Tuesday’s final fixture.
The tour formed part of Pakistan’s continuing effort to strengthen its women’s cricket programme and provide opportunities to both established and emerging players. Competing in Sri Lankan conditions offered the squad valuable experience against spin bowling, variable surfaces and a home side increasingly confident in limited-overs cricket.
For Pakistan, the final-match victory offers momentum for upcoming assignments even though the broader tour exposed areas requiring improvement. Team management will now assess batting consistency, partnership building and execution under pressure while seeking to carry the discipline shown in Dambulla into future international series.