Sri Lanka Clinch ODI Series Against Pakistan to Climb ICC Women’s Championship Table

Sri Lanka Women made history on 28 July 2026. They defeated Pakistan Women by eight wickets to win their three-match ODI series 2-1. The hosts completed a dominant chase at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota to secure their first bilateral series victory over Pakistan in 24 years. 

This victory also propelled Sri Lanka to second place in the ICC Women’s Championship standings, significantly boosting their chances for direct qualification for the 2029 ODI World Cup.

Sri Lanka Women vs Pakistan Women 3rd ODI Match Highlights

A Historic Victory in Hambantota

The third and final One Day International (ODI) served as the decisive game, tied at 1-1 going into the match. Sri Lanka broke a losing streak against Pakistan that goes back to 2002. Pakistan had earlier won four in a row in bilateral series against the island nation. But the Sri Lankans brought that to an end with a clinical display in front of their home crowd.

Sri Lanka Women won the toss and chose to field. The Sri Lankan bowlers pressured the opposition on a helpful surface. As a result, the visitors failed to build any early momentum and it set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

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Bowlers Dominate the Final Decider

Sri Lanka’s bowling attack was led by the young Chetana Vimukthi, who was playing only her sixth ODI. She took the first wicket in just the second over of the match. She had a triple wicket maiden over. As a result, Pakistan made only 10 runs by losing 3 wickets within just two overs. Both Sidra Amin and Sadaf Shamas fell for ducks during this early collapse.

Meanwhile, Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali shared a partnership of 68 runs. Nevertheless, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu broke this stand by dismissing Feroza for 40 runs. Following this breakthrough, the Pakistani middle order failed to make runs. They struggled from 110/4 to 146/7 in just a couple of overs.

READ MORE: Ellyse Perry Stars as Australia Thrash Pakistan by 113 Runs in Women’s T20 World Cup

Captain Athapaththu Leads from the Front

Captain Fatima Sana scored 41 runs to help Pakistan to a somewhat respectable total. She hit a few boundaries and six to take the score close to the 200-run mark. However she eventually fell as the last wicket to fall as Pakistan were all out for 187 in 40 overs.

For Sri L, Kavisha Dilhari and Chamari Athapaththu were the stars with the ball. Both bowlers picked up three wickets each for just 27 runs. The disciplined line and length did not allow the Pakistani batters to score freely. Also, Sri Lankan fielders provided good support to their bowlers with sharp catching and energetic ground fielding throughout the innings. The captain also scored 52 runs in 38 balls to chase the target.

ICC Women’s Championship Standings

Looking Ahead to the T20I Series

After finishing the ODI matches, both teams will now travel to Dambulla. They are scheduled to play a three-match T20I series starting on 31 July 2026. Sri Lanka will hope to carry their winning momentum into the shorter format of the game. Conversely, Pakistan will look to bounce back and fix the batting collapses that hurt them in the final ODI.

The Pakistani captain, Fatima Sana, admitted that her team’s batting was not up to the mark in the decider. She promised that the team would discuss these issues and try to improve for the next set of matches. On the other hand, the Sri Lankan camp is full of joy after ending their long wait for a series trophy against their rivals.

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