Sri Lanka Women made a winning start to the Pakistan Women tour of Sri Lanka 2026 with a clinical six-wicket victory over Pakistan Women in the opening T20I at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. Chasing a challenging target of 177 after opting to bowl first, the hosts rode on a sensational unbeaten century from Imesha Dulani to complete the chase in just 19 overs. Dulani’s match-winning knock earned her the Player of the Match award as Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pakistan post a competitive 176 despite late wickets
Asked to bat first, Pakistan Women produced an impressive batting display to post 176/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Openers Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar gave the visitors an ideal platform with an aggressive opening stand. Muneeba struck 42 off just 24 deliveries, peppering the boundary with nine fours before departing after a brisk start.
Shawaal continued the momentum and anchored the innings with a superb 63 off 41 balls, smashing 10 fours and a six while keeping the scoreboard ticking. Eman Naseer contributed a steady 21 from 27 balls before Ayesha Zafar added late impetus with a quickfire 17 off 11 deliveries, including two towering sixes. Saira Jabeen also chipped in with an unbeaten 13 from just eight balls to push Pakistan to a strong total.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers managed to prevent an even bigger scorqe by striking regularly in the second half of the innings. Kavisha Dilhari was the most successful bowler with figures of 2/36 from four overs, while Sugandika Kumari and Chamudi Praboda claimed one wicket each. Kawya Kavindi also picked up a wicket despite conceding 30 runs in her three overs.
Imesha Dulani’s century headlines dominant Sri Lanka chase
Sri Lanka’s response began in spectacular fashion as captain Chamari Athapaththu launched an aggressive assault on the Pakistan bowling attack. She raced to 39 off only 22 deliveries, striking five fours and two sixes to ensure the required run rate never became an issue. Although Athapaththu fell before reaching her half-century and Sri Lanka lost a couple of wickets in the middle overs, Dulani held the innings together with a breathtaking knock. Displaying remarkable composure and attacking intent, Dulani remained unbeaten on 101 off 64 balls, hammering 17 fours and a six. It was a flawless innings that combined elegant strokeplay with calculated aggression, allowing Sri Lanka to stay firmly in control throughout the chase.
Harshitha Samarawickrama made seven, Kavisha Dilhari added 11, while Nilakshi de Silva finished the contest in style with an unbeaten nine off just four deliveries as Sri Lanka reached 177/4 with six balls to spare.
Pakistan spinner Nashra Sandhu impressed with the ball, returning figures of 2/25 from her four overs and briefly raising hopes of a comeback. Umm e Hani and Humna Bilal picked up a wicket apiece, but the rest of the attack struggled to contain the Sri Lankan batters on a batting-friendly surface.
Chased down in style! 🙌
Sri Lanka score 177/4 in 19 overs to wrap up a dominant 6-wicket win 💥#SLvPAK #SriLankaCricket pic.twitter.com/HAjnSLCm8j
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 31, 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
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