Sri Lanka’s depth has given captain Chamari Athapaththu confidence ahead of the 2026 Women’ Asia Cup final, after the defending champions secured a four-wicket victory over Pakistan. For Athapaththu, the most encouraging aspect of the semi-final was the response from her young batting unit when the chase appeared to be slipping away.
Sri Lanka will face India in the final on Sunday.
Pakistan posted 130, leaving Sri Lanka to chase 131, but the defending champions were soon in trouble. Athapaththu, Sanjana Kavindi and Hasini Perera were all dismissed within the opening six overs, putting Sri Lanka under immediate pressure.
Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari provided the crucial recovery. Rather than allowing Pakistan to build further momentum,
the pair settled into the chase and put together a 67-run partnership that transformed Sri Lanka’s position.
Athapaththu believes that ability to step up at different stages is one of the team’s biggest strengths.
“We have good finishers like Harshitha, Nilakshika, Kavisha. Most of the players are playing really good, even the bowling unit. So we have good players. So if we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team,” Athapaththu said after Sri Lanka’s semi-final win.
The captain was also pleased with the overall contribution from her side. While Sri Lanka’s fielding included a couple of missed chances, their bowling performance and batting response gave Athapaththu plenty to be positive about.
“As a bowling unit, we did really good, and we dropped a couple of catches when we were fielding, but we did really good. And the way the batters batted, it’s amazing to watch, because the youngsters (are) doing really good. That’s a very good thing for the team and the nation as well,” she added.
The middle-order stand between Harshita and Dilhari was particularly important because it came at a point when Pakistan had the defending champions under genuine pressure. The two batters focused on rotating the strike, avoiding unnecessary risks and steadily bringing Sri Lanka closer to their target.
“The way Harshitha and Kavisha batted, it’s amazing. They absorbed the pressure, they took singles and played really good. Under pressure, that partnership was match-winning,” the all-rounder stated.
Harshita made 36 and Dilhari scored 33 before both were dismissed in the 17th over. Sri Lanka still required 30 from 23 deliveries, but Nilakshi de Silva and Kaushani Nuthyangana ensured there was no late drama, guiding the side home with eight balls remaining.
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