Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the Asian Games 2026 women's cricket semi-final in Nisshin, Japan, on Sunday, September 20, ending Pakistan's hopes of reaching the gold-medal match.
Chasing 178, Sri Lanka finished on 178-2 in 17.5 overs. Captain Chamari Athapaththu led the pursuit with an unbeaten 83, leaving Pakistan to contest the bronze medal on September 22.
The result was confirmed in the Pakistan Cricket Board's match report and independently reported by Geo News.
Ayesha and Shawaal rebuild Pakistan's innings
Pakistan made 177-4 after being sent in to bat. Ayesha Zafar scored 71 from 40 deliveries, while Shawaal Zulfiqar contributed 54 from 50.
Their 115-run third-wicket partnership repaired an innings that had slipped to 35-2. PCB described the stand as Pakistan's highest for the third wicket in women's T20 internationals.
Ayesha struck nine fours and two sixes before being run out. Shawaal also cleared the boundary twice, and Pakistan captain Fatima Sana finished unbeaten on 20.
Athapaththu takes charge of the chase
Sri Lanka completed the chase with 13 balls unused. Athapaththu's innings gave Sri Lanka the decisive contribution that Pakistan could not match with the ball.
Hasini Perera added 42 and Imesha Dulani made 27. With only two wickets lost, Sri Lanka reached the target well inside the allotted 20 overs and secured a place in the final.
The contrast between the two innings was clear in the final score: Pakistan's recovery produced a substantial total, but Sri Lanka kept enough wickets in hand to finish without taking the contest into the last over.
Pakistan to face Bangladesh for bronze
India won Sunday's other semi-final by 114 runs against Bangladesh, setting up a gold-medal match against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh will therefore be Pakistan's opponent in the bronze-medal contest.
As reported by The Indian Express, India posted 195-4 before dismissing Bangladesh for 81. Both medal matches are scheduled for September 22.
Pakistan reached the semi-finals after a three-wicket victory over Thailand on September 17. The team now has one remaining opportunity to finish its campaign with a medal.
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