In a dramatic and tense encounter at the ICC Women’s World Cup in Mumbai, Sri Lanka clinched a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh by a mere 7 runs. Chasing a target of 202, the Bangladesh team fought valiantly but ultimately fell just short, finishing their 50 overs at 195 for 9.
Sri Lanka’s innings began with a disastrous start, losing their first wicket on the very first ball of the match. However, Captain Chamari Athapaththu (46) and Hasini Perera steadied the ship, building a crucial partnership that took the score to 72.
Hasini Perera was the star of the innings, playing a brilliant knock of 85 runs. Nilakshika Silva later added a valuable 37 runs. Despite their efforts, the rest of the batting order couldn’t contribute significantly, with no other batter reaching double figures. The team was all out for 202 runs in the 49th over. For Bangladesh, Shorna Akter was the most successful bowler, claiming 3 wickets.
In response, Bangladesh also faced early trouble, finding themselves at 44 for 3. Captain Nigar Sultana and Sharmin Akhter then launched a courageous fightback, putting together a strong partnership that raised the score to 126 and brought Bangladesh right back into the game.
The match turned when Nigar Sultana was dismissed after scoring a vital 77 runs. Following her departure, the Bangladeshi batting lineup struggled to maintain momentum, and wickets began to fall at regular intervals. Sharmin Akhter remained unbeaten at one end, playing a lone warrior’s innings of 64 not out, but she ran out of partners.
Sri Lanka’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu, proved to be the match-winner with her outstanding all-round performance, backing up her 46 runs with 4 crucial wickets that sealed the thrilling win for her team.
