Fatima Sana’s double is not enough as Sri Lanka have the nerve to reach the final
Results in brief: Sri Lanka (134/6 in 18.4 overs) beat Pakistan (130/5 in 20 overs) by four wickets to reach the final of the Women’s Asia Cup. (Fatima Sana 47*, 4/38)
Fatima Sana put in a superb all-round effort but it ultimately came in vain as defending champions Sri Lanka held on to beat Pakistan by four wickets to reach the final of the Women’s Asia Cup on Friday.
Sri Lanka will now face India in a repeat of the 2024 final, with Harmanpreet Kaur’s side eyeing a record eighth Asia Cup title. The home team, meanwhile, will be looking to defend the crown they won for the first time in the previous edition.
SL vs PAK, Women’s Asian Cup Semi Final: Highlighting | Scorecard
SRI LANKA COMEBACK PHASE
Chasing 131, Sri Lanka found themselves in deep trouble early in the innings. Pakistan reduced the hosts to 33/4 in 6.2 overs, putting them in a strong position to pull off an upset.
Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari then made crucial recoveries. The duo shared a partnership of 67 runs for the fifth wicket to bring Sri Lanka back into the contest.
Samarawickrama scored 36 off 31 balls while Dilhari scored 33 off 33 deliveries. Their partnership took Sri Lanka to 100 before Pakistan struck again.
Fatima Sana dismissed both batsmen in the same over, leaving Sri Lanka at 109/6 needing 22 runs from the last three overs. With the pressure mounting and Pakistan sensing another turn, Sri Lanka needed their lower order to deliver.
Nilakshika Silva and Kaushini Nuthyangana did just that. Silva remained unbeaten on 13 while Nuthyangana finished on 14 not out as the pair took Sri Lanka over the finish line with eight balls to spare.
SANA COMBAT EFFORT
Earlier, Pakistan also endured a tough start after being sent in to bat. They slipped to 52/4 in 10 overs before Fatima Sana launched a counter-attack.
The Pakistan skipper remained unbeaten on 47 off 36 balls, guiding her team to 130/5 and giving them a total to defend. She then followed it up with four wickets for 32 runs, including the crucial dismissals of Samarawickrama and Dilhari.
However, her individual brilliance was not enough to carry Pakistan over the line.
Defeat means there will be no India-Pakistan final in the tournament. Instead, Sri Lanka earned another chance in India after their memorable triumph in 2024.
Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets in the previous final to win their first Women’s Asia Cup. India will now have an opportunity to avenge that defeat when the two sides meet in a top-level encounter on Sunday.
India have been the dominant team in the tournament so far, winning all four matches. With three wins, they topped the group stage and beat Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semi-finals.
Sri Lanka’s hard-fought victory over Pakistan has now opened another chapter in their growing rivalry with India, leaving the defending champions one win away from retaining their crown.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
12 Sep 2026 0:00 IST