Chamari Athapaththu delivered a commanding performance to guide Sri Lanka into the final of the Women’s Asian Games 2026. Her unbeaten 83 off just 50 balls proved decisive on Sunday, September 20, as she dismantled Pakistan’s total of 177/4 with nearly three overs to spare. This victory marks a significant turnaround for the skipper, who just three months ago described herself as a failure after Sri Lanka’s early exit from the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan’s initial total was built on a resilient third-wicket partnership. After slipping to 35/2 in the sixth over, Shawaal Zulfiqar and Ayesha Zafar stabilized the innings. Zulfiqar anchored the side with a 50-ball 54, while Zafar accelerated scoring with a 40-ball 71, featuring nine fours and two sixes. The duo combined for 115 runs off 70 deliveries, helping Pakistan capitalize in the final five overs to post a challenging target.
Sri Lanka’s pursuit was aggressive from the start. Following the early departure of Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera joined Athapaththu at the crease. Perera was instrumental in the chase, striking three fours and three sixes during her 26-ball 42. Her partnership with the captain added 95 runs off only 56 balls, putting the game firmly in Sri Lanka’s control.
Athapaththu remained at her clinical best throughout the innings, hitting seven fours and six sixes. She brought up her half-century with a towering six, eventually guiding her team to 178/2 in 17.5 overs. Sri Lanka now awaits the winner of the India versus Bangladesh semifinal to compete for the gold medal.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 177/4 (Ayesha Zafar 71, Shawaal Zulfiqar 54; Chamari Athapaththu 1-30) lost to Sri Lanka 178/2 (Chamari Athapaththu 83*, Hasini Perera 42) by 8 wickets. The report also notes that 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, on Sunday (September 20). The report also notes that posting a solid 177/4, sri Lanka needed her to go full throttle because Pakistan did well in the first half of this knockout fixture.
