Image: Sri Lanka Women beat Bangladesh by 7 runs in thriller / © ESPNcricinfo
The ICC Women’s World Cup match between Sri Lanka Women and Bangladesh Women on October 20, 2025, at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai was pure cricket thrill. From the moment Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat, setting a target of 203, to Bangladesh’s heart-stopping chase that ended just 7 runs short at 195 for 9, this game had everything. It had grit, partnerships, collapses, and a finish that left everyone speechless. It was not just a match.
Sri Lanka’s batting kicked off on a shaky note. But they turned it around with some smart cricket before things got wobbly again at the end. Batting first on a pitch that had a bit of spice early but got better for strokeplay later, they knew they needed a solid start. Winning the toss was a bonus. Yet losing the first wicket on the very first ball threw them off balance right away.
Opener Vishmi Gunaratne did not even get off the mark. She faced Marufa Akter’s opening delivery and was trapped lbw for a duck. Just like that, Sri Lanka was 0 for 1. The pressure was on. But captain Chamari Athapaththu loves these moments. She strode out and teamed up with Hasini Perera to rebuild. Chamari went all guns blazing. She smashed six fours and two big sixes in her 46 runs off 43 balls. She timed everything beautifully. Not only that, but she hit the loose balls to all parts of the ground. That partnership with Hasini added 72 crucial runs. It took the score to 72 for 2 when Chamari fell lbw to Rabeya Khan around the 12th over. It was the perfect platform. Furthermore, it was aggressive yet controlled.
Hasini Perera, though, was the real hero of this innings. She batted like she had parked her bus at the crease. She guided the team through thick and thin. Facing 99 balls, she scored 85 runs with nine lovely fours and one towering six. Sure, her strike rate was 85.85. But in a 50-over game like this, that was pure class. She kept rotating the strike. She built partnerships. Likewise, she only attacked when it felt right. After Chamari’s exit, Hasini linked up with Harshitha Samarawickrama. Harshitha hung around for 4 runs off 11 balls. But a silly mix-up led to her run-out. Bangladesh’s fielders were sharp. The score slipped to 87 for 3.
Kavisha Dilhari came in next. She chipped in a quick 13 off 19 balls, looking to push the scoring. But she got stumped by Nahida Akter. Suddenly it was 100 for 4. Pressure mounting again. Enter Nilakshika Silva. Together with Hasini, they put on a match-winning 74-run stand for the fifth wicket. Nilakshika played with real freedom. She smashed 37 off 38 balls, including one four and two sixes. She took the scoreboard pressure off Hasini. Hasini quietly built towards her fifty. By the 31st over, they had the score at 174 for 5. Fans were starting to dream of 220 or more.
But Bangladesh fought back. Shorna Akter Nilakshika caught. The innings started to unravel. Wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani scratched around for 2 off 7 balls. She chipped one back to Shorna. That made it 178 for 6. Sugandika Kumari followed soon. She was lbw for just 1. That made it 181 for 7. Hasini kept battling. But she, too, fell lbw to Shorna for her brilliant 85. Sri Lanka was teetering at 182 for 8. The lower order dug in, though. Udeshika Prabodhani showed real guts. She scored 8 off 37 balls with a four. Malki Madara added 9 off 42. They scratched together 18 runs for the ninth wicket before Prabodhani was bowled. Madara fell running out, trying to steal a quick one. Sri Lanka were all out for 202 in 48.4 overs.
Bangladesh’s bowlers deserve huge credit. They were disciplined from start to finish. Shorna Akter was outstanding. She picked up 3 wickets for just 27 runs in her 10 overs. Her clever variations had everyone guessing. Rabeya Khan chipped in with 2 for 39. Nahida Akter, Nishita Akter Nishi, and Marufa Akter grabbed one each. Even Ritu Moni, without a wicket, kept things tight at 33 runs in 6 overs. The fielding was electric. Those two run-outs really hurt Sri Lanka. Extras were barely there. Just 4 in total. The run rate stayed around 4.15. The Powerplay gave a decent 35 for 2. Sri Lanka bounced back from 100 for 4 to 174 for 5. But losing five wickets for 28 runs showed their tail-end woes. Still, 203 felt like a fighting total. Hasini Perera walked away with Player of the Match for her epic knock.
If Sri Lanka’s innings had ups and downs, Bangladesh’s chase was a slow burn that exploded into chaos at the end. Needing 203, it looked gettable on a true pitch. But early nerves and a brilliant recovery set the stage for one of the wildest finishes you’ll see. They ended at 195 for 9. So close, yet so far.
The start mirrored Sri Lanka’s. It was shaky as heck. Opener Rubya Haider edged one to keeper Anushka off Udeshika Prabodhani for a duck in the second over. Score: 2 for 1. Fargana Hoque, the steady hand, took 35 balls for her 7 runs. But she got run out thanks to a lightning throw from Harshitha Samarawickrama. That made it 24 for 2 after 10 overs. Sobhana Mostary tried to attack. She made 8 off 13. But Sugandika Kumari had her caught. That made it 44 for 3 at the drinks break. Bangladesh was in trouble. They needed someone to stand up.
That is when Sharmin Akhter arrived at number four. She turned it around. She batted like a dream. Unbeaten on 64 from 103 balls with five fours and a six. Her strike rate of 62 was spot on for the situation. She left the straights. She punished the widths. Furthermore, she kept things calm. Teaming up with Captain Nigar Sultana, they built an 82-run partnership that saved the innings. Nigar was outstanding, too. She scored 77 off 98 balls with six fours. She played patiently. Likewise, she reached fifty off 72 balls. Then she started finding gaps regularly.
Together, they ticked off milestones like clockwork. 50 up in 17 overs. 100 in under 30. 150 by the 41st. At the second drinks, they were 109 for 3. There was even a tense DRS moment. Sri Lanka reviewed Sharmin’s lbw. But Hawk-Eye showed it was missing a leg. Big sigh of relief. Sharmin smashed a six off Prabodhani to break the shackles. Sadly, Sharmin had to retire hurt on 64 not out midway. But she came back later to finish the job.
Shorna Akter joined Nigar. She added a quick 50-run stand. She scored 19 off 27. By the 45th over, Bangladesh were 176 for 4. They needed 27 off 30 balls. Shorna fell behind Chamari. Then Ritu Moni made 7 before being bowled. That made it 193 for 5 after 48 overs. Just 10 required off 12. It felt like they had it in the bag.
The last over, bowled by Chamari Athapaththu, was cricket at its most electric. Bangladesh required 9 runs off 6 balls. The stadium was buzzing. Chamari, cool as ice, ran in. She produced something unbelievable. Four wickets in four straight balls, including a hat-trick! It was like the game paused for drama.
Rabeya Khan tried to sweep but got trapped lbw on a full ball. It was plumb, confirmed by review. Nahida Akter, facing her first delivery, pushed for a risky single. She was run out by Chamari’s direct hit from mid-off. The hat-trick ball got the big one. Nigar Sultana, on 77, miscued a drive straight to long-off. The fourth was Marufa Akter. She padded up and was lbw. The review showed it crashing into the stumps. Bangladesh lost five wickets in what felt like seconds. They scrambled to 195 for 9. Sharmin returned but could only add a single. Sri Lanka won by 7 runs!
Chamari finished with 4 for 42 in 10 overs. Pure brilliance. Sugandika took 2 for 38. Prabodhani 1 for 25. The others kept it economical. Eleven wides were costly. But the Powerplay (23 for 1) and run rate of 3.90 showed control. Bangladesh fought hard through Sharmin and Nigar. But they buckled under death-over pressure.
That final over from Chamari Athapaththu was straight out of a movie. Four wickets in four balls to snatch victory from Bangladesh’s grasp! With 9 needed off the last 6, she ran in and turned the match on its head. Rabeya Khan got trapped lbw trying a sweep.
Nahida Akter was run out by a rocket throw from Chamari herself. Nigar Sultana holed out to long-off on the hat-trick ball after her superb 77. Marufa Akter padded up to seal the lbw. This moment sealed Sri Lanka’s semi-final spot. It became an instant legend in women’s cricket. Pure magic!
In the end, amid all the chaos, Hasini Perera shone brightest as TCNI’s Hero of the Day. Her 85 off 99 balls with nine fours and a six was the glue that held Sri Lanka together. Coming in early after a duck, she built stands with Chamari (72 runs) and Nilakshika (74 runs).
She turned 100 for 4 into a fighting 202. While others crumbled, Hasini stayed cool. She reached fifty. She kept Bangladesh’s bowlers at bay. Shorna Akter got her eventually. But not before she set up that thrilling win.