Sri Lanka will face Pakistan in the second semi-final of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 on 26th July at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
The winner of the match will set up a final with either India or Bangladesh on 28th July.
Hosts Sri Lanka qualified for the semi-finals by topping the Group B points table with three wins from three fixtures.
After routing Bangladesh by seven wickets, Sri Lanka blanked Malaysia by 144 runs and Thailand by 10 wickets, all within the span of a week.
Among the batters, captain Chamari Athapaththu has led from the front by scoring 180 runs in just three innings for her team.
Moreover, the legendary batting all-rounder has also emerged as the leading run-getter of the tournament. In the bowling department, off-spinners Kavisha Dilhari and Inoshi Priyadharshani will start as some of the key members for the Sri Lankan unit.
After coping with a seven-wicket drubbing at the hands of arch-rivals India, Pakistan bounced back to register emphatic wins over Nepal and the UAE.
By collecting four points from three games, the Girls in Green finished the league stage at number two on the Group A points table to qualify for the semi-finals.
Gull Feroza (124 runs) and Muneeba Ali (94 runs) played crucial roles for Pakistan in their journey towards the semi-finals, considering both cricketers have scored the highest number of runs for their side in the ongoing tournament.
While bowling remains a primary area of concern for Pakistan, left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal has made timely breakthroughs for them, taking four wickets in three innings at an average of 12.75.
Match time
PST: 6:30pm
GMT: 1:30pm
Local time: 7:00pm
Likely lineups
Sri Lanka: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Inoshi Priyadharshani Fernando, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari and Achini Kulasuriya.
Pakistan: Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Tuba Hassan, Sidra Ameen, Omaima Sohail, Nida Dar (c), Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Syeda Aroob Shah, Nashra Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal.
Prediction
Due to recent form and familiarity with home conditions, the Chamari Athapaththu-led Sri Lanka will be considered favourites to defeat Pakistan and secure a spot in the finals.
