Sri Lanka Chase 131 To Book Women's Asia Cup 2026 Final Against India

Sri Lanka chased 131 in 18.4 overs in Dubai on Friday to beat Pakistan by four wickets and reach the Women's Asia Cup 2026 final, where India wait on Sunday. Pakistan made 130 for 5. Fatima Sana held the innings together with 47 not out from 36 balls and then took 4 for 38. Her side still went out.

Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and bowled. Sri Lanka made two changes, Hasini Perera and Mithali Ayodhya coming in for Vishmi Gunarathne and Chethana Vimukthi.

Fatima Sana carries Pakistan's total

Pakistan slipped to 52 for 4. Muneeba Ali, Ayesha Zafar and Shawaal Zulfiqar all went early, and Sadaf Shamas was stumped in the tenth over. Zulfiqar top scored among them with 24. Gull Feroza made 21 from 32 balls. Athapaththu took 2 for 24 and Chamodi Praboda 2 for 25.

Sana came in and hit four fours and two sixes. She faced 36 of the 120 balls and was still there at the end of the 20th over.

The chase wobbles, then holds

Sana struck twice inside four overs and Sri Lanka were 22 for 2, Athapaththu among the wickets. Imesha Dulani made 24. Harshitha Samarawickrama then made 36 from 31 balls and Kavisha Dilhari 33 from 33. Sana came back and removed both of them. Nilakshika Silva and Kaushini Nuthyangana closed it out with eight balls to spare.

• Pakistan 130 for 5 in 20 overs, Fatima Sana 47 not out
• Sri Lanka 134 for 6 in 18.4 overs, Samarawickrama 36
• Fatima Sana 4 for 38, Chamari Athapaththu 2 for 24
• Final: India v Sri Lanka, Dubai, Sunday 13 September

A second straight final for the holders

Sri Lanka are the defending champions and this is a second consecutive final, Cricket Times reported. Pakistan had beaten Thailand and Bangladesh to reach the last four, with Nashra Sandhu taking 6 for 7 in the group stage. They have now lost a semi-final in Dubai with their captain making the highest score on either side and taking four wickets.

Sunday in Dubai

The final starts at 6.30pm local time at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India beat Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semi-final, Shafali Verma making 64 from 40 balls and Deepti Sharma taking 3 for 26. India lead the T20I head to head 25-5 from 31 completed meetings, with one no result, according to Yahoo Sports.

Deepti has 11 wickets in this tournament, the ICC reported: 3 for 0 against Thailand, 3 for 9 against Hong Kong, 2 for 5 against Pakistan and 3 for 26 in the semi-final. The ICC also lists her as the Asia Cup's all-time leading wicket-taker with 37. Her group-stage 2 for 5 came against Pakistan, the side Sri Lanka have just knocked out.