Sri Lanka Women kept the three-match series alive with a dominant eight-wicket victory over Pakistan Women in the second One-Day International (WODI) at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on July 25, 2026. Chasing a competitive target of 274, the hosts showcased an exceptional batting performance, comfortably crossing the finish line with 19 balls to spare.
The emphatic victory perfectly sets up a winner-takes-all series decider in the final match.Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field, putting Pakistan in to bat. The visitors built a solid foundation led by opening batter Sidra Amin, who anchored the innings meticulously to score her seventh ODI century, finishing unbeaten on exactly 100 off 120 balls. Amin found excellent support in Ayesha Zafar, who struck a quickfire 49 off 45 deliveries, and Muneeba Ali, who contributed a steady 45. A late-innings cameo of 25 runs from captain Fatima Sana pushed Pakistan to a strong total of 273 for 5 in their allotted 50 overs. The Sri Lankan bowling unit put up a disciplined effort to contain the scoring rate during the death overs, with Chamari Athapaththu, Chethana Vimukthi, Inoka Ranaweera, and Kavisha Dilhari each picking up a solitary wicket.
Sri Lanka's pursuit faced an early hiccup when skipper Chamari Athapaththu fell cheaply for just 1 run in the fifth over, drawing an edge off Fatima Sana. However, this brought Harshitha Samarawickrama to the crease to join opener Vishmi Gunaratne, sparking a monumental, match-defining partnership. The duo paced the chase flawlessly, initially keeping the run-rate hovering around five an over before aggressively finding boundaries once the asking rate climbed after the halfway mark. Gunaratne played the role of the primary aggressor, bringing up her half-century in 55 balls and converting it into a majestic 107-ball hundred. By the time Gunaratne was stumped for a superb 123 off 123 deliveries, Sri Lanka was safely within striking distance of the target.
Following Gunaratne's departure, Kavisha Dilhari arrived with attacking intent, striking an unbeaten 40 off 33 balls to keep the momentum firing. At the other end, Samarawickrama played a flawlessly composed anchor role, reaching her own well-deserved century off 119 balls with a boundary right before the match concluded. Dilhari then smacked the winning runs in the 47th over to seal the dominant 275/2 scorecard. Gunaratne's brilliant match-winning century earned her the Player of the Match honors.
