Defending champions Sri Lanka surged to the top of Group B in the
Chasing a target of 125 on a slow-paced surface, Indonesia struggled to gain any momentum against the Sri Lankan attack. The innings collapsed entirely under the pressure applied by Athapaththu, who finished with extraordinary figures of 7/5 from her 21 deliveries. This performance marks the first time a bowler from a Full Member nation has claimed seven wickets in a women's T20 International, surpassing the previous record of 6/11 held by Zimbabwe’s Esther Mbofana.
Athapaththu's historic spell and Sri Lanka's recovery
The Sri Lankan captain entered the attack in the fourth over and made an immediate impact, claiming three wickets within her first five balls. Although she narrowly missed a hat-trick during that initial burst, she successfully completed the feat across two overs shortly after. The Indonesian side had no answer to her accuracy, with only Ni Made Putri Suwandewi reaching double figures with an unbeaten 12, while Rahmawati Pangestuti contributed 10. The entire team was dismissed for just 49 runs.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka faced significant challenges with the bat, finding themselves in a precarious position at 62/6. The innings was rescued by a resilient half-century from Nilakshika Silva, who struck 50 off 35 balls to guide her team to a total of 124/7. Ni Luh Dewi was the standout performer for Indonesia with the ball, returning figures of 3/32.
The result elevates Sri Lanka to the summit of the Group B standings in the Women's Asia Cup. In the concurrent Group A fixtures, India continues to lead the table, followed by Pakistan. The day also saw a personal milestone for India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who surpassed Mithali Raj to become the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket across all formats during her side's encounter with Hong Kong.
