In-form Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket team, fresh from a remarkable Twenty20 series victory in England, displayed their prowess by defeating Pakistan by six wickets on Sunday. This victory propelled them to the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games, where they are set to face India.
Pakistan struggled to find their footing on a challenging batting surface that had been affected by days of rain at the Zhejiang University of Technology ground in Hangzhou. They could only manage a below-par total of 75-9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Leading the Sri Lankan attack, left-arm medium-pacer Udeshika Prabodhani claimed three crucial wickets, while off-spin bowler Kavisha Dilhari chipped in with two more to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts.
Sri Lanka comfortably chased down their target with 21 balls to spare, sparking jubilant celebrations as players rushed onto the field to exchange high-fives and embraces.
In an earlier match at the same venue, the Indian women’s cricket team delivered a dominant performance by dismissing Bangladesh for a mere 51 runs. All-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, a last-minute replacement in the squad, made a significant impact with four wickets.
India wasted no time in securing an eight-wicket victory with over 11 overs remaining. Jemimah Rodrigues was the top scorer with an unbeaten 20 runs.
Rodrigues has yet to be dismissed in the Asian Games, showcasing her batting prowess with a remarkable 47 not out in the quarter-final against Malaysia, which was later abandoned due to rain.
This victory marks the second occasion in just over a week that Sri Lankan cricketers have thwarted a Pakistan-India major cricket final, setting the stage for an exciting showdown between Sri Lanka and India in the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games.
