New Delhi: Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 31 runs in the second match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Thursday, October 3. The star all-rounder Fatima Sana scored crucial runs and also took important wickets to help the team win their opening match.
Fatima Sana, Nida Dar guide Pakistan to 116
Pakistan got off to a disappointing start as Sugandika Kumari removed both openers cheaply. Omaima Sohail stitched a 25-run partnership with Nida Dar but she was dismissed by Kavisha Dilhari on 18 runs. Nida scored 23 runs off 22 balls while skipper Fatima Sana scored 30 runs off 22 balls with the help of 3 boundaries and two maximums. Prabodhnai, Chamari Athapaththu and Sugandika picked up 3 wickets each while Dilhari also took one wicket.
Sadia Iqbal and bowlers’ restrict Sri Lanka to 85 runs
Chasing the target of 117 runs, Sri Lanka lost the wicket of star all-rounder Athapaththtu on 6 runs. Nashra Sandhu removed Vishmi Gunaratne on 20 runs and provided the second breakthrough to Pakistan. Hasini Perera and Kavisha Dilhari also lost their wicket cheaply. Nilakshi de Silva scored 22 runs off 25 balls but other batters failed to score runs during the chase as Pakistan earned two important points.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are placed in Group A along with defending champions Australia, New Zealand and India. While England, Bangladesh, South Africa, West Indies and Scotland are placed in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals.
‘I believed in myself and backed myself’: Fatima Sana
After the match, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana thanked the team management and said that she backed herself to stay calm. She further added that the team executed the plan wonderfully and took early wickets.
“Very excited, thanks to the team and the management. All credit goes to them. I believed in myself and backed myself to stay calm. We know Chamari is a good player, and we knew if we got the early wicket then we can make a good start. The whole management gave me a lot of confidence. We wanted to get a lot of runs on the board, and we wanted to achieve the maximum target we could” Fatima Sana said in a post-match presentation.
Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 31 runs in the second match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
