Pakistan have kicked off their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in optimum fashion, defeating Sri Lanka in their opening match.
On a slow Sharjah track, Sugandika Kumari and Chamari Athapaththu dented Pakistan early on in the powerplay as they kept losing wickets on a regular basis ending up with a weak total of 116.
Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail added to the score with run-a-ball scores of 23 and 18 with Skipper Farima Sana at No.7 chipping in with a valiant 30 to help Pakistan get past 100 but was overall devoid of someone at the other end of the pitch to help Pakistan maintain a foothold. Udeshika Prabodani alongside Sugandika and Athapaththu starred with three wickets each.
The second innings did not get off to the best of starts for Pakistan, with Diana Baig forced to limp off the field after only bowling the first ball of the innings with what is suspected to be a calf injury. The remaining five balls of the over were then bowled by captain Fatima Sana.
Despite defending a low total, the Pakistan side put up quite a fight against Sri Lanka in their opening T20 World Cup game, with the Pakistani skipper sending her Sri Lankan counterpart back to the dugout on the second ball of the third over, with Sri Lankan Captain Chamari Athapaththu mistiming an attempted cover drive to Omaima Sohail at extra cover.
Sohail then struck just before the powerplay, with Harshitha Samarawickrama missing the ball that would crash into the middle stump. She followed up with another in her second over, dismissing Hasini Perera for 8 and leaving the Sri Lankan side at 35 for 3 at the end of 8 overs.
Despite being a bowler down Pakistan kept tightening the screws, with Kavisha Dilhari falling next. Unable to do anything with Nashra Sandhu’s delivery, she was caught by Nida Dar at long-on. Nashra Sandhu also picked up the key wicket of Vishmi Gunaratne, who until then had maintained a rock-solid stay at the crease, with the Sri Lankan trying to go for six but ending up being caught in the deep by Sidra Amin.
With few boundaries to speak of and wickets falling at regular intervals amid a rising run rate, the pressure continued to mount on Sri Lanka. Sadia Iqbal struck next, with an attempted six by Anushka Sanjeewani being caught by Gul Feroza.
Nilakshika Siva was the next batter to be dismissed, falling to Sadia Iqbal after a fighting stand of 22 runs off 25 balls. Iqbal followed up by dismissing Sugandika Kumari lbw the very next ball, with Sri Lanka reeling at 83 for 8 at the end of the 19th over. Sachini Nisansala was the penultimate wicket to fall, with keeper Muneeba Ali taking a smart catch behind the stumps off the bowling of Fatima Sana. Sri Lanka finished well short of the target, with Pakistan winning by 31 runs.
Pakistan will face arch-rivals India in a highly anticipated clash for their next match on Sunday.