Sri Lanka’s Victory Over Pakistan in Last-Over Thriller to Secure Women’s Asia Cup final 2024 Spot
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in a thrilling finish, driven by the standout 63 of Chamari Athapaththu and the undefeated 24 of Anushka Sanjeewani in the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 semi-final.
This victory sets up an exciting final against India, a rematch of the championship match from the previous edition.
Pakistan 140 for 4 (Muneeba 37, Feroza 25, Prabodhani 2-23, Dilhari 2-30) lost to Sri Lanka 141 for 7 (Athapaththu 63, Sanjeewani 24*, Iqbal 4-16) by 3 wickets.
In a thrilling last-over match in the second semi-final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by three wickets thanks to Chamari Athapaththu’s valiant 63 off 48 balls and Anushka Sanjeewani’s undefeated 24 off 22. With the victory, Sri Lanka advanced to the final for the second time in a row.
They overcame Pakistan by one run in the semi-final two years ago in Sylhet by maintaining composure with the ball. India and Sri Lanka will face off in the championship match once more.
In Friday’s encounter, the tide of play changed several times. Sri Lanka had to go deep into the chase after holding Pakistan to 140 for 4, as Sadia Iqbal wove a web around their hitters with four wickets. However, Athapaththu persisted and found capable companions in Sanjeewani and Kavisha Dilhari, respectively. Athapaththu shared a game-changing partnership of 42 off 29 balls for the fifth wicket with the latter. But in the 17th over, Iqbal got rid of Athapaththu, swinging the balance back in Pakistan’s favour.
With five wickets remaining, Sri Lanka needed to score 21 off 20 balls at that moment. Sanjeewani and Achini Kulasuriya saw the team home after they lost two more wickets, and three wickets from three balls was all that was needed.
Against UAE, Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza carried on where they left off. By scoring 45 runs in the powerplay, Pakistan’s opening team established the tone early on.
Feroza got off to a brilliant start after hitting two straight fifty, slamming seamer Achini Kulasuriya with three fours in the third over. Muneeba swept Athapaththu for two fours following a quiet over from Sugandika Kumari. Udeshika Prabodhani then opened the next over with a tasteful straight drive.
By taking four wickets and conceding just 56 runs between overs 7 and 16, Sri Lanka regained control of the game in the middle overs. In the tenth over of the innings, Feroza misplayed an over to deep midwicket, allowing Prabodhani, playing in her 100th T20I, to remove him. After five balls, the batter shifted across too far for her to sweep, exposing her stumps, and she cleaned up Muneeba.
With a six and a four off Kulasuriya in the fourteenth over, Nida Dar broke the chains, but in the following over, Sidra Amin, who was having trouble at the other end, holed out to short third after mistiming a reverse sweep off Dilhari. After four balls, Dilahri leg-before-winning.
Also Read: India Dominates Bangladesh to Secure Women’s Asia Cup 2024 Final Spot
After 16 overs, Pakistan reached 101 for 4, with to fast runs from Fatima Sana. In the 17th over, she hit Dilhari for two fours, and on the opening ball of the 19th over, she hit Inoshi Priyadharshani for another boundary. Pakistan was buoyed by her unbeaten 23 off 17 and her uninterrupted stand of 41 off 31 balls with Aliya Riaz. Poor fielding by Sri Lanka included lost run-out opportunities, dropped catches, and multiple misfields.
Sri Lanka’s powerplay finished on 35 for 2 as they lost Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama early. But after putting up 59 runs off of 46 balls for the third wicket, Athapaththu and Dilhari steadied the innings. Following a calm beginning, Athapaththu quickened his pace and reached the boundary steadily.
Iqbal’s double-wicket over, which left Sri Lanka at 78 for 4, allowed Pakistan to surge back into the game with 63 needed from 52 balls. However, in the following few overs, Sanjeewani and Athapaththu blunted Pakistan with a barrage of boundaries. Athapaththu scored her 11th T20I half-century while traveling. It didn’t help that Pakistan was as careless in the field; Muneeba failed to appeal after she stumped Athapaththu and missed stumping Dilhari.
When it appeared that Sri Lanka would have it easy, Pakistan used Iqbal to fight back once more. In her last over, she got rid of Athapaththu, finishing with a 4 for 16 total. After a mix-up, Hasini Perera was run out in the next over. After giving up 13 runs in the penultimate over, Kumari smashed two fours to reduce the required score to three runs from six balls.
Although Dar entered the game for the last over and removed Kumari with the second ball, Pakistan’s chances of winning were lost.
