Pakistan Women kickstarted their ODI series against Sri Lanka Women on a high note, clinching a dominant 5-wicket victory in the opening match with 42 balls to spare. Driven by disciplined bowling and a fiery top-order performance, the visiting side comfortably chased down a target of 211 runs in 43 overs. The clear star of the day was opener Gull Feroza, whose stroke-filled half-century systematically broke the back of the opposition’s defense, laying down a solid foundation for Pakistan’s early series lead.
Pakistan Women halts Sri Lanka batting attack to a competitive total
After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka Women looked set for a massive total during a promising start. Captain Chamari Athapaththu (46 off 67) and Vishmi Gunaratne (28 off 38) provided a confident 56-run opening stand inside the first 12 overs. However, Pakistan’s bowling attack gradually clawed its way back into the game through exceptional control in the middle overs.
Spin maestro Nashra Sandhu emerged as the chief destroyer for Pakistan, breaking the initial stand by dismissing Gunaratne before castling Athapaththu just as the skipper approached her half-century. Sandhu finished with impressive figures of 3 for 42 in her 10 overs. Middle-order batters Hasini Perera (35) and Kavisha Dilhari (35) attempted to stabilize the innings, but Pakistan kept picking up wickets at crucial junctures.
Leg-spinner Syeda Aroob Shah delivered an remarkably tight spell, conceding just 26 runs in 10 overs while grabbing a wicket. Despite a late unbeaten rearguard effort from Nilakshika Silva (46* off 50), Pakistan’s disciplined execution with the ball, supported by seamers Fatima Sana (1/50) and Tasmia Rubab (2/34), restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 210/9 in their allotted 50 overs.
Gull Feroza’s brilliant knock helps Pakistan secure a convincing win against Sri Lanka
Chasing 211, Pakistan Women set out with aggressive intent from the onset. Opener Feroza launched a relentless counterattack, striking the ball clean to keep Sri Lanka’s bowlers under severe pressure during the Powerplay. Feroza completed a lightning-fast half-century in just 47 balls, anchoring the chase alongside Sadaf Shamas (20) to put up 58 runs for the first wicket.
Following Shamas’s departure, Feroza joined hands with the experienced Sidra Amin for a decisive 90-run partnership for the second wicket. Feroza’s blistering knock ended at 78 off just 77 balls, featuring 11 fours and a towering six, earning her the Player of the Match award. Amin played the anchor role brilliantly with a composed 57 off 94 deliveries.
Although Sri Lanka off-spinner Kavisha Dilhari tried to spark a mini-collapse by taking 2 for 37 removing Feroza and Muneeba Ali (1), Pakistan remained well ahead of the required rate. Unbeaten contributions from Ayesha Zafar (27*) and captain Fatima Sana (4*) ensured there were no further hiccups as Pakistan effortlessly crossed the finish line at 211/5 in 43 overs, wrapping up a comprehensive victory.
Pakistan chased down 211 with 7 overs to spare to win the 1st ODI 👏#SLvPAK #Pakistan #ODICricket pic.twitter.com/u8eo01Cszn
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 24, 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
