Latest News
WWC 2025: Handshakes and rain in focus as India look to continue unbeaten run against Pakistan
The last time these teams met at an ODI World Cup, India won. They tend to. If you are new to the women’s version of this “rivalry”, the headline is that however big the gap is between India and Pakistan’s men’s teams, it has tended to be bigger here. Pakistan have never beaten India in 11 ODIs. They haven’t got close. India have always won by at least 80 runs or five wickets.
But the last time these teams met at an ODI World Cup, something else happened that seems of greater relevance to this moment. After the match (India’s win was by 107 runs, by the way), a group of India players were seen playing with and delighting in the six-month-old daughter of Bismah Maroof, Pakistan’s then-captain, who had the infant on her shoulder. It was an uncomplicated moment of shared humanity and joy, the women cooing to the baby and trying gently to draw from her a reaction, while her mother continued to comfort her. Whatever the politics surrounding Sunday’s match, it should not be forgotten that these are athletes who have enjoyed moments of connection, and treated each other with dignity, in the past.
Both teams say they are focused on the cricket ahead of this match (there has been no confirmation whether the Indian team will shake hands with the Pakistan players, though), and on a purely cricketing front, Pakistan have a lot of work to do to make a match of this. Their first problem is their batting. They were bowled out for 129 by Bangladesh on Thursday. They do have batters in form – Sidra Amin and Muneeba Ali have been especially good over the last few months. But Pakistan batters don’t have a history of batting consistently against top-quality bowling, which is what India possess.
India, meanwhile, will be pleased with the start they have made in this tournament, though they will also hope their top order can fire. Against Sri Lanka, it was the lower-order batting of Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma that lifted them to a winning total. Their bowling looked in good order in the defence too, with Sneh Rana, Shree Charani and Deepti finding frequent wickets through the middle overs. They also have the advantage of knowing this venue well – India played a tri-series in Colombo earlier this year.
Offspinner Sneh Rana took to the Khettarama surface almost immediately, taking 3 for 31 in her first ODI at the venue. In four matches since, she has built up quite the record at this ground, taking 15 wickets at an average of 14.00 here, becoming Player of the Tournament in that tri-series in May. She has also made a strong start to this World Cup, taking 2 for 32 against Sri Lanka, having also contributed 28 not out with the bat.
Pakistan’s best chance of making a good score is for Sidra Amin to find some runs. Just in the last three weeks, she had hit 121 not out, 122 and a 50 not out against a good South Africa attack. She was bowled first ball on Thursday, but that was more down to the quality of Marufa Akter’s delivery than through any major failing of Amin. She is not the most aggressive batter around, but this year, she has been the rock that Pakistan build their innings around.
India may not see a need to change their winning XI.
India (probable): Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Goud, Shree Charani
Pakistan will think about bringing Eyman Fatima into the side to strengthen their batting. Legspinner Syeda Aroob Shah may also be considered, as she offers some batting as well.
Pakistan (probable): Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (capt), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal
Sahibzada Farhan’s record-breaking hundred and Fakhar Zaman’s blazing 84 off 42 balls gave Pakistan a five-run win over Sti Lanka in Pallekele but it wasn’t enough to put them in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. It was New Zealand who became the second team from Group 2 to qualify for the knockouts.
After being sent in, Pakistan needed to win by about 65 runs to qualify, and for a large part of their innings, they were in business. Having made three changes – Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Salman Mirza made way for Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed – they opened the innings with Fakhar and Farhan, and the two added 176 in 15.5 overs. It was the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cups, bettering Finn Allen and Tim Seifert’s unbroken 175 against UAE from a few days ago.
Farhan’s hundred was his second of the tournament. No one else has made more than one in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. En route, he also broke Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in a T20 World Cup. Kohli had scored 319 in 2014; Farhan finished on 383.
After the massive opening stand, Pakistan looked set for 220-plus. But the last four overs brought only 35 runs at the loss of seven wickets. As a result, they could post only 212 for 8, and needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or below.
Despite Abrar’s three-for, Sri Lanka breached that mark in the 16th over. But Dasun Shanak wasn’t satisfied with just that. He wanted to win. When Shaheen Shah Afridi came on to bowl the final over, Sri Lanka needed 28. Shanaka started with 4, 6, 6, 6 to make it six required from two. Afridi went way outside off to beat a reverse scoop. Now it was six off one. Afridi tried to hide the ball again. Shanaka left it expecting a wide. It was extremely tight, but the umpire decided the delivery was legal and the game ended in total anti-climax.
Farhan and Fakhar showed positive intent right from the start. Facing his second ball, Fakhar stepped out and slogged Dilshan Madushanka through midwicket for four. From the other end, Farhan steered Dushmantha Chameera through cover-point before launching Madushanka for a four and a six in the third over. The pair took Pakistan to 64 for 0 at the end of the powerplay.
Even after the powerplay, the duo kept finding the boundary. The 11th over was the first and only boundary-less over of the innings. By then, Pakistan had crossed 100 and Farhan had brought up his fifty. Fakhar got to his in the following over, off 27 balls – five fewer than Farhan.
Sri Lanka were also let down by their fielders. Dunith Wellalage dropped Farhan on 75. Janith Liyanage caught him on 76 but stepped onto the boundary cushion. Chameera eventually broke through in the 16th over when he had Fakhar dragging a wide delivery onto his stumps. Farhan brought up his hundred off 59 balls but Pakistan kept losing wickets at the death in search of quick runs, which didn’t come.
Playing his first match of the World Cup, Naseem needed only three balls to pick up his first wicket. With Pathum Nissanka backing away early, he slipped in a back-of-the-hand slower ball, full and wide outside off. Nissanka reached for it but could only lob it towards extra cover where Mohammad Nawaz back-pedalled to complete the catch. Kamil Mishara was steering the chase single-handedly, but Abrar bowled him in the fifth over for 26 off 15. Then, Charith Asalanka and Pavan Rathnayake took Naseem for 12 in the sixth over to finish the powerplay on 49 for 2.
Asalanka and Rathnayake took Sri Lanka to 75 in the ninth over before Abrar struck again. He beat Asalanka’s slog sweep and bowled him. With the final ball of his spell, he sent back Kamindu Mendis too. When Mohammad Nawaz castled Liyanage, leaving Sri Lanka 101 for 5, Pakistan’s hopes were renewed. But Rathnayake and Shanaka crushed them with a flurry of sixes. In the space of ten balls, the pair hit four sixes and a four. Rathnayake brought up his fifty off 32 balls, and when Shanaka picked up a single off Tariq to take Sri Lanka to 148, Pakistan were knocked out.
Sri Lanka needed 53 from four overs. Shanaka started the 17th with a six off Naseem but Afridi gave away only six in the 18th and also removed Rathnayake. But Shanaka refused to give up. With 46 required from 12 balls, he took Shadab for two sixes in the 19th and then tore into Afridi. The way he was batting, Sri Lanka appeared to be the favourites with six needed from two balls.
On the penultimate delivery, Shanaka shaped up for a paddle sweep. But the ball was well wide outside off stump. Shanaka tried to go reverse last minute but couldn’t connect. For the final ball, Afridi once again went full and wide. Shanaka left it alone, expecting it to be given a wide. On most days, the decision would have been in his favour, but tonight the umpire remained unmoved, leaving him on 76 not out off 31 and Sri Lanka agonisingly close to their target.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 212 for 8 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 100, Fakhar Zaman 84, Dilshan Madushanka 3-33, Dushmantha Chameera 1-48, Dasun Shanak 2-42) beat Sri Lanka 207 for 6 in 20 overs (Kamil Mishara 26, Charith Asalanka 25, Dasun Shanaka 76*, Pavan Rathnayake 58; Shaheen Shah Afridi 1-48, Naseem Shah 1-36, Abrar Ahmed 3-23, Mohammad Nawaz 1-21) by five runs
[Cricinfo]
[Cricbuzz]
Latest News
Iran launches attacks across Middle East after US and Israel strikes on leadership sites
Iran has launched attacks across the Middle East, in response to US and Israeli strikes across its territory
Apparent Iranian attacks have been reported in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait – places with US military bases, or that are allied to the US – and elsewhere
In Bahrain, where the US has a major naval base, the moment of an apparent Iranian missile attack was filmed from a car.
The attacks came after the US and Israel launched attacks across Iran – Israel says “several senior figures” from the Iran regime have been “eliminated”. At least 53 people were killed at a girls’ school, Iranian state media reports.
Donald Trump said “major combat operations” were under way, and urged Iranians to ‘take over’ the government: “This will be probably your only chance for generations”
The US and Israel think the Iranian regime is vulnerable, writes our international editor Jeremy Bowen, and believe this is an opportunity not to be squandered
Meanwhile, UK PM Keir Starmer says British planesare in the sky today in the Middle East as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies”
[BBC]
Renewed Lanka’s Easter Bombing probe puts NTJ’s South India radicalisation network back under lens
Sajith warns: Don’t let trade union action stall cyclone relief
Complaints filed with CID, Bribery Commission over alleged substandard coal deal
A World Cup wake-up call
HNB’s Damith Pallewatte named Sri Lanka’s ‘Bank CEO of the Year 2025’
The State of the Union and the Spectacle of Trump
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features6 days agoLOVEABLE BUT LETHAL: When four-legged stars remind us of a silent killer
-
Business6 days agoBathiya & Santhush make a strategic bet on Colombo
-
Business6 days agoSeeing is believing – the silent scale behind SriLankan’s ground operation
-
Latest News7 days agoIndia, South Africa meet in the final before the final
-
Features6 days agoProtection of Occupants Bill: Good, Bad and Ugly
-
News6 days agoPrime Minister Attends the 40th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Nippon Educational and Cultural Centre
-
Business6 days agoHuawei unveils Top 10 Smart PV & ESS Trends for 2026
-
News6 days agoCoal ash surge at N’cholai power plant raises fresh environmental concerns