Sadia Iqbal’s Bowling Heroics Lead Pakistan to Victory Over Sri Lanka in Women’s T20 World Cup
In an exciting match at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan clinched a decisive win against Sri Lanka, thanks to Sadia Iqbal’s exceptional bowling performance.
On October 3 in Sharjah, Pakistan’s women’s cricket team triumphed in their second match of the tournament, as Sri Lanka fell short in their chase of 117 runs. After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bat first but was bowled out for 116 runs.
Sadia Iqbal was instrumental in Pakistan’s success, taking three wickets and restricting Sri Lanka to just 85 runs, leading to a 31-run victory. The Sri Lankan team struggled throughout their innings, finishing 32 runs below the target. Only Nilakshika Silva and Vishmi Gunaratne made notable contributions, scoring 22 off 25 and 20 off 34, respectively.
Pakistan’s batting began poorly, with openers Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza dismissed by Sugandika Kumari within the first four overs, leaving the team at just 17 runs. Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu intensified the pressure by dismissing Sidra Amin in the sixth over; she managed only 12 runs off 10 balls.
Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail attempted to stabilize the innings with a 25-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but their efforts were thwarted when Omaima fell to Kavisha Dilhari, having scored 18 off 19 balls. Dar briefly partnered with Tuba Hassan before being bowled out by Udeshika Prabodhani, ending her innings with 23 runs off 22 balls.
As wickets continued to fall, Pakistan found themselves in trouble at 84/8 in 14.5 overs. However, Fatima Sana stepped up, scoring a crucial 30 runs off 20 balls, including three fours and a six, before being dismissed in the final over.
For Sri Lanka, Athapaththu, Kumari, and Udeshika Prabodhani each took three wickets, while Kavisha Dilhari added one to her tally.
Playing XI:
Pakistan: Muneeba Ali (wk), Gull Feroza, Nida Dar, Tuba Hassan, Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Sidra Amin, Omaima Sohail, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
Sri Lanka: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani.