In an absolutely breathtaking climax to their Women’s World Cup match in Navi Mumbai, Sri Lanka pulled off an improbable victory against Bangladesh, securing their first win of the tournament by a mere seven runs. With Bangladesh needing only nine runs from the final over and still having five wickets in hand, the odds seemed heavily stacked against Sri Lanka. However, their valiant skipper, Chamari Athapaththu, stepped up to bowl and orchestrated a dramatic turnaround that will be remembered for years to come.
What followed was nothing short of miraculous: four wickets tumbled in just four deliveries, leading to a stunning collapse where Bangladesh lost five wickets for a paltry two runs. Athapaththu, maintaining an astonishing composure under immense pressure, ended with her career-best figures of 4-42.
The gripping final over began with Rabeya Khan being trapped leg before wicket. This was immediately followed by a crucial run-out, further rattling the Bangladeshi side. Their captain, Nigar Sultana, attempted to break the mounting pressure but was caught at long-off after advancing down the pitch. The final nail in the coffin came when Marufa Akter was adjudged LBW on the very next ball, completing Athapaththu’s unthinkable feat of defending nine runs while conceding just one.
Reflecting on the incredible finish, Athapaththu commented, “We handled the pressure exceptionally well. We knew that if we could push the game deep, teams sometimes falter under pressure.” She candidly admitted, “It wasn’t a perfect game; batting collapses and missed catches did hurt us, but today, luck was certainly on our side.”
Indeed, fortune finally smiled upon Sri Lanka, whose World Cup journey had previously been hampered by frustrating rain delays, squandered chances, and inconsistent batting performances. Earlier in the match, Hasini Perera played a magnificent innings, scoring her maiden ODI half-century with 85 runs off 99 balls, including 13 fours and a six. Her anchoring knock also saw her reach the significant milestone of 1,000 ODI runs.
A solid 74-run partnership between Perera and Nilakshika de Silva provided Sri Lanka with a promising foundation. Despite a subsequent batting collapse that saw six wickets fall for only 28 runs, the Sri Lankan team managed to hold their nerve during the tense final overs.
This thrilling victory propelled Sri Lanka to sixth place in the standings with four points, putting them level with New Zealand and India. While they still require favorable outcomes in other matches to clinch a semi-final berth, this win keeps their hopes alive. Australia, South Africa, and England have already cemented their spots in the final four.
A dejected Bangladesh skipper, Nigar Sultana, lamented, “We kept losing wickets at crucial moments.” Her own fighting innings of 77 runs ultimately went in vain as her team was eliminated from the tournament. “I tried to release the pressure by going for a boundary,” Sultana added, “but it just didn’t work out.”