Sri Lanka produced a stunning all-round performance to secure a convincing 75-run victory over Indonesia in their second Group B fixture of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 on Wednesday. After recovering from a precarious 62/6 to post 124/7, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu produced a sensational spell of 7/5 before completing a hat-trick to bowl Indonesia out for just 49.
Nilakshika de Silva rescues Sri Lanka after batting collapse
Indonesia won the toss and elected to bowl, and their decision appeared to be paying off during the early stages of the Sri Lankan innings. The tournament debutants kept the pressure firmly on Sri Lanka, with Ni Kadek Ariani making an early breakthrough by bowling Imesha Dulani. Despite a few boundaries from Sri Lanka’s top order, Indonesia’s disciplined spin attack continued to create problems.
Sri Lanka slipped to 36/4 by the eighth over before Nilakshika de Silva took responsibility for rebuilding the innings. The left-hander remained patient during an extended period without a boundary, focusing instead on rotating the strike and keeping the innings alive. With wickets falling around her, De Silva dug deep and eventually found another gear. She used the crease intelligently and targeted the shorter side of the ground, before opening up against Ariani late in the innings.
A pair of boundaries, a reverse scoop and a six helped De Silva reach a crucial half-century. She was dismissed immediately after reaching the milestone, but her 50 proved invaluable as Sri Lanka finished on 124/7.
Chamari Athapaththu turns the match on its head with sensational hat-trick
Indonesia made a positive start to their chase, but Sri Lanka soon found a way to halt their momentum. Athapaththu opened the bowling attack and struck early, sending Pangestuti back after breaching her defence. Sugandika Kumari then joined the party, dismissing Dewi as Sri Lanka began tightening the screws. Athapaththu’s off-spin proved particularly difficult for the Indonesian batters to negotiate. She soon claimed two wickets in successive deliveries, leaving Indonesia struggling to build any meaningful partnership.
At the halfway stage, Indonesia were reduced to 29/5, with the required run rate becoming increasingly irrelevant as wickets continued to tumble. They managed only one boundary between the second and 15th overs, highlighting just how effectively Sri Lanka strangled the chase. Athapaththu returned for another spell and completely dismantled the Indonesian lower order. She dismissed Ni Ariani, Sang Maypriani and Dara Ahung Laksmi Paramitha with successive deliveries, completing a remarkable hat-trick and triggering celebrations among the Sri Lankan players.
Her final figures of 7/5 were not only a career-best in international cricket but also the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan bowler in Women’s T20Is. The performance capped a remarkable turnaround after Sri Lanka had been under serious pressure with the bat. Indonesia were eventually bowled out for 49 in 18.3 overs, handing Sri Lanka a comprehensive 75-run victory.
Sri Lanka defend 124 in style, bowling out Indonesia for just 49 👊#SLvsIND #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/uQRhsr2nCW
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) September 3, 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
