Sri Lanka’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu, believes securing a spot in the Women’s World Cup semifinals would be nothing short of a ‘miracle’ for her team. This sentiment comes despite their recent thrilling seven-run victory over Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on October 20, 2025.
Although Sri Lanka gained two vital points, bringing their total to four – matching India and New Zealand – their significantly low net run rate (NRR) places them at a distinct disadvantage. They now face a tough battle against these two nations for a coveted spot in the last four.
Meanwhile, Australia, England, and South Africa have already successfully secured their places in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Athapaththu, who famously delivered a stunning final over against Bangladesh – claiming three wickets and executing a crucial run-out to snatch victory – stated, ‘We have one more game left, and we’ll give it our absolute best. Making the semifinals would genuinely be a miracle.’
Sri Lanka successfully defended a total of 202 runs, a feat that seemed challenging when Bangladesh’s captain Nigar Sultana (77) and Sharmin Akhter (64, retired hurt) were dominating at the crease.
Athapaththu emphasized that handling pressure was key, and she was proud that her players rose to the occasion.
‘We managed the pressure right up until the final over,’ she explained. ‘We understood the importance of fighting until the very end. As a batting unit, we made several errors, and it wasn’t our finest game, but we were fortunate to come away with the win.’
Reflecting on their earlier matches, she added, ‘We played four games in Sri Lanka, but two were unfortunately rained out. The weather is unpredictable, but as a professional team, we can’t let that be an excuse.’
‘Hasini Perera (85 runs) and I (46 runs) built a strong partnership, but then I got out. We need to learn from how the Bangladesh team approached their middle overs batting. Our batting unit made far too many errors.’
Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana expressed her heartbreak over the loss, highlighting the team’s urgent need to improve their ability to manage pressure in crucial moments.
‘From the outset, I truly believed it was our game,’ Sultana remarked. ‘Sharmin Akter (64 not out) and I were batting exceptionally well. The momentum unfortunately shifted when she had to leave the field due to cramps.’
‘We consistently lost wickets at critical junctures,’ she continued. ‘This is the third match where we’ve faced this situation. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. We couldn’t hold our nerve under pressure, and this is something we absolutely must address.’
‘We pride ourselves on being a strong fielding side, yet we inexplicably dropped crucial catches at vital times. It’s clearly a mental aspect we need to work on. With one more game remaining, we are determined to correct these errors and finish the tournament on a positive note,’ Sultana concluded.