Athapaththu fires Sri Lanka into Asian Games final
The Sri Lankan captain slammed 83* off 50 as her side cantered to a win in chase of Pakistan's 177/4
Just three months ago, a distraught Chamari Athapaththu called herself a failure as captain as Sri Lanka couldn't make the semifinal of another T20 World Cup. On Sunday (September 20), her 83* against Pakistan went a long way in unburdening her from such harsh self-criticism as it led Sri Lanka to the final of the Women's Asian Games 2026. The Sri Lankan skipper put on a batting spectacle - her 50-ball essay including seven fours and six sixes, easing the tensions that come associated with a big chase in a crunch match.
Sri Lanka needed her to go full throttle because Pakistan did well in the first half of this knockout fixture, posting a solid 177/4. Opener Shawaal Zulfiqar laid the foundation with a 50-ball 54 before No.4 batter Ayesha Zafar tonked nine fours and two sixes enroute to a 40-ball 71. The pair added 115 off just 70 balls for the third wicket to revive the innings from 35/2 in the sixth over. Pakistan amassed 46 runs off the final five overs to get themselves a good total, until Athapaththu made mincemeat of it.
Athapaththu and her opening partner Imesha Dulani made a stroke-filled start to chase before Fatima Sana cleaned up the latter. That brought Hasini Perera to the middle, who threw her bat at almost everything in a feisty partnership with her captain worth 95 off just 56 balls. Perera hit three fours and three sixes in a knock of 42 from 26 deliveries.
Athapaththu was at her brutal best as Pakistan were made to chase shadows. She got to her half-century with a big six and stayed till the end to see the chase through in just the 18th over. Sri Lanka will now fight for the gold medal against the winner of the other semifinal between India and Bangladesh.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 177/4 in 20 overs (Ayesha Zafar 71, Shawaal Zulfiqar 54; Chamari Athapaththu 1-30) lost to Sri Lanka 178/2 in 17.5 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 83*, Hasini Perera 42) by 8 wickets
