Navi Mumbai: Sri Lanka claimed a sensational seven-run victory over Bangladesh in a nail-biting ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 encounter on Monday. The win keeps Sri Lanka's semi-final hopes alive while simultaneously ending Bangladesh's tournament.
The match culminated in a dramatic final over where Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu took three wickets and engineered a run-out, defending nine runs needed by Bangladesh for the win. The hosts were able to restrict Bangladesh to 195/9 in response to their first-innings total of 202.
Match Recap
Sri Lanka Innings
Sri Lanka's innings was anchored by a magnificent 85 off 99 balls from Hasini Perera, who was later named Player of the Match.
Perera, along with captain Athapaththu (46) and Nilakshika Silva (37), helped steady the innings after a shaky start.
A middle-order collapse, sparked by Shorna Akter's impressive three-wicket haul, saw Sri Lanka lose their last six wickets for just 28 runs, managing to post 202 all out.
Bangladesh Innings
In their chase, Bangladesh was led by a valiant 77 from skipper Nigar Sultana Joty and a 64 from Sharmin Akhter.
After a solid 82-run partnership between Joty and Sharmin, Bangladesh appeared to be cruising toward victory.
However, with nine runs needed in the final over, Athapaththu stepped up with the ball.
She took wickets on the first, third, and fourth balls, and another wicket fell to a run-out on the second delivery. The stunning performance restricted Bangladesh to just one run in the final over.
Significance
The victory is Sri Lanka's first of the World Cup and moves them level on points with India and New Zealand in a three-way battle for the final semi-final spot. For Bangladesh, the heartbreaking loss marks their fifth defeat of the tournament and confirms their elimination.
