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Sri Lanka Women vs Pakistan Women 1st Semi-Final Full Commentary
Result · Sep 20 2026, Sun - 05:30 AM (IST)
1st Semi-Final, - Korogi Sports Park
SL-W 178/2 (17.5)
PAK-W 177/4 (20.0)
Sri Lanka Women beat Pakistan Women by 8 wickets
CRR:9.98
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We are back for the chase. The umpires are back out in the middle, and the players of Pakistan Women can be seen in a huddle, waiting to take their places on the field. It will be the duo of Chamari Athapaththu and Imesha Dulani to open the innings for Sri Lanka Women. It will be Umm-e-Hani to start proceedings with her off-spin. Let's go...
... The Run Chase ...
In need of a decisive Powerplay - Not the best effort by Sri Lanka Women in the field and at times they were sloppy with the ball as well. Too many wides and dropped catches, coupled with a few missed run-out opportunities as well. Kavisha Dilhari was surprisingly the most expensive bowler, as she is generally the one who chokes the opposition batters in the middle overs, but Ayesha Zafar took her apart. Chamari Athapaththu bowled well and so did Kawya Kavindi, who got only two overs in the latter half of the innings, but overall, it wasn't their best day out in the field. Right then, 178 is what Sri Lanka Women need to guarantee a medal, and a lot will hinge on how they bat in the Powerplay. Pakistan Women will be hoping for early wickets as they look to continue their quest for a third gold medal in Women's cricket in the Asian Games. The chase is coming right up.
Zafar leads the carnage - After losing Gull Feroza in the first over, the duo of Saira Jabeen and Shawaal Zulfiqar stabilized the innings, with Jabeen trying to break free. However, she too got out and then Ayesha Zafar came in, blasting the ball to all parts of the ground, en route to a fine 71 off just 40 balls. Zulfiqar played second fiddle but hit a crucial half-century as well. The skipper, Fatima Sana, then laid the finishing touches with a quickfire cameo and took her side close to the 180-run mark.
Top score of the competition - Pakistan Women have let go of the blemishes of the past and piled up a big total of 177 runs on the board. An innings that started in the worst way possible, but has ended on a high, and Pakistan will be very confident of a win at the midway interval. Sri Lanka Women will be disappointed with their overall effort in the field, but we have seen them pull off some incredible wins in the recent past, so you never know.
FOUR! Finds the fence with a glorious hit. Good length ball, fairly outside off, Sana stands, finds the middle of the bat, and clears the mid off fielder with ease for a boundary. Pakistan Women post 177/4 on the board with 11 runs coming off the final over.
Beaten! A bit short of a length, wide outside off. Eyman looks to lift it away over covers but is beaten comprehensively up. The keeper, Kaushini Nuthyangana, gathers the ball behind the stumps and breaks the stumps in a flash, but Eyman just about manages to drag her back leg in before the bails come off. This has been a fine, fine last over from Kumari so far. But can she finish it off well?
A touch full and outside off, Sana steers it through cover-point for a single.
On a length, on off, Fatima Sana punches it away to mid off. Another dot.
Around off and on a length, Fatima stands tall and times the drive nicely, but finds the cover fielder.
SIX! Just over! Flighted, outside leg. Fatima dances down the track, and heaves it across the line. She just about clears the leaping fielder at deep mid-wicket and gets a biggie.
Short and around off, dragged across with a flat bat and down to long on for a single.
Good length, outside off, Eyman drills it and ends up slicing it over the bowler's head for a run.
Eyman Fatima walks in at number 6.
OUT! BRILLIANT CATCH! On a day when Sri Lanka have shelled several chances in the field, that's a superb catch. Shawaal cannot quite believe it. Good length ball on the stumps. Shawaal clears her front leg and slogs it across the line, but doesn't quite get the power needed to clear deep mid-wicket. Rashmika Sewwandi, the sub fielder, patrolling the boundary, times her leap to perfection by stretching both her hands to the right, and takes a good catch right on the edge of the ring, and balances herself well to stay inside the ropes. Pakistan Women are 164/4, with 8 balls left.
A bit short on off, Sana crunches it down to long on with a flat bat for a single.
FOUR! Quick hands! Short and outside off, Fatima Sana gets enough room to free her arms wide. She stands tall and carves it over the backward point fielder for a boundary.
A bit back of a length, around off, Sana drives it on the up crisply, but finds the fielder at extra cover.
Kawya Kavindi comes back in to bowl the penultimate over of the innings.
Outside off and full, Sana drags it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.
A bit too full and outside off, Shawaal carves it to the off side, in front of square for a single.
A touch short, and on off, Fatima taps it into covers for a quick single.
FOUR! Powered away! Full-length delivery, on leg, Fatima Sana skips down the track and whacks it down the ground, beating long on to her left for a boundary.
Full and around off, Shawaal Zulfiqar hammers it down to long off for a single.
Floated up on the stumps, driven down to long on for a single.
Fatima Sana walks out to bat next. Also, Chamari Athapaththu is back on to finish her spell.
OUT! AYESHA ZAFAR IS RUN OUT! A big mix-up in the middle finally hands Sri Lanka the breakthrough they've been chasing. Full and around leg, and Ayesha goes down on one knee to sweep it away to the short fine leg region. Both batters charge through for the single, but nearly collide midway down the pitch, and that slows Ayesha up just enough. Kavisha Dilhari releases the throw to the bowling end, and Praboda does the rest with Ayesha nowhere in the frame. Pakistan Women are 150 for 2 with three overs left in the innings.
Goes full and on the leg stump, Shawaal Zulfiqar heaves it off the inner half to deep mid-wicket for a single which brings the 150 up for Pakistan Women!
Short and across the batter, this is punched off the back foot to covers.
SIX! Fifty for Shawaal Zulfiqar now! Off 45 balls. She started in a measured way, but is cutting loose now. Flighted, on the stumps. Shawaal dances down the track, gets to the pitch of it, and launches it back over the bowler's head for a biggie.
On to the next one - Well then, Sri Lanka advance to the final match with spring in their step, whereas Pakistan are left scratching their heads as to what went so wrong for them. In reality, they were unable to make inroads and just caved under pressure in the end. But who will face Sri Lanka in the Gold Medal match? That will be decided through the second semi-final which is about to get underway between India Women and Bangladesh Women. The winner will qualify for the final and the loser will face Pakistan in the Bronze Medal match. Our buildup has already begun and the toss is just a few moments away as well. So do switch tabs to follow all the updates from the second semi-final. From here, we sign off. Cheers!
Zafar and Zulfiqar to the rescue - Sri Lanka will look back on this one and wince at the chances put down. Jabeen was let off on 12 by Kavindi, Zulfiqar survived on 25 courtesy of Samarawickrama, and Ayesha Zafar got a life on 5 thanks to Ayodhya - three missed opportunities in a crucial semifinal with a gold medal on the line. Pakistan made the most of every reprieve. Reduced to 35 for 2 early on, they engineered a superb recovery through Shawaal Zulfiqar and Ayesha Zafar, who put together a fluent, proactive 115-run stand, both bringing up half-centuries along the way. Sri Lanka, sloppy in the field throughout, simply had no answer to stem the flow of runs as they erred a lot. And not even Athapaththu could find a breakthrough to pull things back. Fatima Sana then provided a late cameo of 20 from 12 to get Pakistan to a commanding 177, which, in the end, still proved insufficient.
The Athapaththu show - It looked like a fine batting surface, with true bounce on offer, and Imesha Dulani made the most of it, getting off the blocks in style. Sana brought her innings to an early close, but not before laying a solid platform. At the other end, Chamari Athapaththu took her time settling in, surviving reprieves on 8 and 18, before finally cutting loose and getting off to her well-paced half-century. There was a conscious effort throughout to keep the dot balls to a minimum. She struck up crucial partnerships along the way, first with Dulani, then an enterprising 95-run stand with Hasini Perera, who also found her range before eventually falling. Harshitha Samarawickrama then partnered her skipper adroitly through the closing stages, and that proved enough to seal the job rather comfortably.
A medal, confirmed - Sri Lanka have qualified for the final in the Asian Games by crushing Pakistan in this semifinal. With that, they have also ensured that they won't be flying back home empty-handed. Pakistan, meanwhile, have been left shell-shocked, hit by a storm named Chamari Athapaththu, who just blew them away effortlessly. It once again proved how valuable she has been for Sri Lankan cricket over the years. It isn't all over for Pakistan just yet, though, as a bronze medal shot still awaits. But having batted so well to post a big total on the board, they will definitely feel their bowlers owed them a far better showing than what they got out there.
That's it, it's all over, and Sri Lanka Women punch their ticket for the gold medal match. Nashra Sundhu drops it short and wide, Harshitha Samarawickrama rocks back and pounces on the width, slapping it to the right of point. The batters cross for one and the ball has run away to the fence as well. It doesn't matter as a run is all that was needed. Sri Lanka Women win by 8 wickets.
Lofted away over the infield, a safe shot. Tossed up outside off, Harshitha skips down the pitch and hits it over covers for a couple of runs. The scores are now level.
WIDE! Full and spilled down the leg side, the keeper misses it as well. The ball rolls down to short fine leg and the batters cross.
Full and straight, driven back past the bowler for a single.
Flatter and outside off, cut away to the backward point fielder.
FOUR! Floated up, wide outside off, Harshitha Samarawickrama does well to reach it and drives it uppishly past point for a boundary.
Pakistan have been all over the place in the last 15-20 minutes or so and that indiscipline is hurting them badly. Sri Lanka have almost confirmed a medal now. They need just 10 runs from 18 balls.
FOUR! Too short and on the pads, Athapaththu moves inside the line and hits it hard down to long leg for yet another boundary.
Flighted ball on off, eased down to long off for a run.
Floated full and on leg, Harshitha comes forward and smothers it away to the bowler.
FOUR! A boundary after a dropped catch, and so often we see that. Short and on the pads, Harshitha Samarawickrama drags it off the back foot and well behind square leg for a boundary.
DROPPED! Riaz has put down a sitter. Nicely tossed up, around off, Athapaththu leans on and lifts it down to long off, where the fielder doesn't get forward enough and puts it down. Athapaththu breathes a sigh of relief as she gets across for the single.
Oh, nearly undone by the spin. Tossed up on the stumps, Samarawickrama slogs it away to deep square leg, but the ball hits the turf and spins to the left. The fielder manages to get a hand on it and a single is taken.
A fumble now, and another single is taken. Just 21 more needed off 24 balls. Short and around off, cut away to point for a single.
A bit sloppy from Pakistan in the field. Slower and shorter on off, Athapaththu waits back and dabs it to short third. The throw at the non-striker's end bounces awkwardly and the bowler fails to collect it, allowing the batters to get an overthrow.
SIX! That's massive, and the 150 comes up for Sri Lanka Women. Tossed up on off, Chamari Athapaththu dances down the track and pummels it over long off for a six.
SIX! Bludgeoned away! Fired in, full and on middle and leg. Athapaththu shuffles to the off side and heaves it flat and square over the on side for a biggie.
An appeal for LBW, but turned down. Replays show a big inside edge on it. Flatter on leg, angled across. Athapaththu sits down to sweep but gets an inside edge onto the pads.
Flighted ball around off, Harshitha Samarawickrama gets across and sweeps it more off the top edge and down to deep backward square leg for a single.
Umm-e-Hani is back into the attack.
Back of a length, on the leg stump, Harshitha Samarawickrama gently taps it to the mid-wicket region for a quick single.
An attempted yorker on the stumps, Chamari charges down the track and shovels it out to long off for a single.
FOUR MORE! This is marvellous ball-striking. A bit fuller this time around but width offered again, outside off. Chamari Athapaththu swings hard and flays it through backward point and cover for a cracking boundary.
FOUR! Absolutely glorious! Not all that short from Sana, but outside the off stump which allows the Lankan skipper to free her arms. She goes deep inside the crease and cuts it surgically between cover and point for a boundary.
Beaten! Wide of off and full, right into the blockhole, Chamari Athapaththu looks to jam it out by shuffling across, but misses out.
WIDE! Way too short and down the leg stump line. Chamari Athapaththu misses the pull. Wide called for height.