The second match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 saw Pakistan Women defeat Sri Lanka Women by 31 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Pakistan Women put up a competitive total of 116 in their 20 overs, with Sri Lanka Women falling short, managing only 85/9 in their full 20 overs. Fatima Sana Khan’s all-round performance earned her the Player of the Match award.
Pakistan Women Innings: Batting first, Pakistan Women managed to score 116 runs in their allotted 20 overs. While the top order struggled to build partnerships, it was Fatima Sana Khan, the captain, who provided a solid foundation with her unbeaten 30 off 20 balls, hitting three boundaries and one six, striking at an impressive rate of 150. Alongside her, Nida Dar contributed 23 runs from 22 balls, playing a crucial role in stabilizing the innings after early wickets. Despite the collapse in the middle order, Pakistan’s lower-order batters chipped in with important contributions.
Key Batting Performances for Pakistan:
- Fatima Sana Khan – 30 runs off 20 balls with a strike rate of 150, three boundaries, and one six.
- Nida Dar – 23 runs off 22 balls, providing stability in the middle overs.
- Omaima Sohail – 18 runs off 19 balls, contributing at a critical juncture.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers managed to restrict Pakistan to a modest total, with notable performances from Udeshika Prabodani (4-0-20-3) and Chamari Athapaththu (4-0-18-3), who were instrumental in applying pressure.
Sri Lanka Women Innings: Chasing 117, Sri Lanka Women struggled to form partnerships and were restricted to 85/9. The Sri Lankan innings lacked momentum, with only Nilakshika Silva (22 off 25 balls) and Vishmi Gunaratne (20 off 34 balls) managing to put up any significant resistance. However, their strike rates were below par, making it difficult to keep up with the required run rate.
Key Batting Performances for Sri Lanka:
- Nilakshika Silva – 22 runs off 25 balls, the top scorer for Sri Lanka, although unable to push the run rate.
- Vishni Gunaratne – 20 runs off 34 balls, with one boundary, but a slow strike rate hampered Sri Lanka’s chase.
Pakistan’s bowlers were disciplined throughout, with Sadia Iqbal (4-0-17-3) and Fatima Sana Khan (2.5-0-10-2) being the pick of the bowlers.
Bowling Performances:
- Sadia Iqbal – 4 overs, 17 runs, 3 wickets with an economy rate of 4.25. She was crucial in breaking the backbone of Sri Lanka’s batting.
- Fatima Sana Khan – 2.5 overs, 10 runs, 2 wickets with an economy of 3.52, sealing the win with her tight bowling in the death overs.
- Omaima Sohail – 4 overs, 17 runs, 2 wickets. Her spell was pivotal in controlling the middle overs.
Sri Lanka’s innings kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with their fall of wickets indicating a lack of partnerships: they were 9/1, 25/2, 35/3, 47/4, 52/5, 70/6, 81/7, 81/8, and finally 85/9 by the end of the 20th over.
Player of the Match – Fatima Sana Khan: Fatima Sana Khan was awarded Player of the Match for her all-round contribution. She scored 30 vital runs off 20 balls at a crucial stage in Pakistan’s innings, and followed it up with a match-winning bowling performance, taking 2 wickets for just 10 runs in her 2.5 overs. Her economical and impactful bowling, combined with her batting prowess, made her the standout player of the game.
Conclusion: Pakistan Women emerged victorious, thanks to key contributions from Fatima Sana Khan, Sadia Iqbal, and Nida Dar. Sri Lanka Women, on the other hand, will look to improve their batting performance in their next game, as they struggled to maintain a competitive run rate throughout the chase. Pakistan’s clinical bowling and steady batting ensured a well-deserved victory, marking a solid start to their World Cup campaign.
