Athapaththu's unbeaten 83 powers Sri Lanka into Asian Games final with record chase past Pakistan
Captain Chamari Athapaththu's unbeaten 83 off 50 balls carried Sri Lanka to 178 for 2 in 17.5 overs, beating Pakistan by eight wickets in the Asian Games semi-final.
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu produced a match-winning unbeaten 83 off 50 balls to carry her side into the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket gold-medal match, chasing down Pakistan’s 177 for 4 with 13 balls to spare in a record eight-wicket semi-final win at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, on Sunday.
Asked to bat first after a delayed start, Pakistan recovered from Gull Feroza’s first-ball duck through a record 115-run stand between Ayesha Zafar, whose 71 off 40 balls included nine fours and two sixes, and Shawaal Zulfiqar, who made 54 off 50. Captain Fatima Sana’s unbeaten 20 off 12 took Pakistan to 177 for 4, with Sugandika Kumari, Athapaththu and Kawya Kavindi taking a wicket each and Zafar falling to a run-out.
Sri Lanka’s reply never faltered. Athapaththu, who struck seven fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 166, anchored the chase with Hasini Perera’s aggressive 42 off 26 balls, and Harshitha Samarawickrama finished 17 not out as Sri Lanka reached 178 for 2 in 17.5 overs. The Papare reported it as Sri Lanka’s highest successful run-chase in women’s T20 internationals.
Sri Lanka now meet the winner of the second semi-final between India and Bangladesh in Tuesday’s gold-medal match, while Pakistan will contest the bronze playoff. The win also gave Sri Lanka a second knockout victory over Pakistan in a fortnight, following their four-wicket win in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup semi-final in Dubai.
Sources
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