Imesha Dulani produced a magnificent unbeaten century as Sri Lanka Women completed an impressive six-wicket victory over Pakistan Women in the opening T20I at Dambulla.
Chasing a challenging target of 177, Sri Lanka reached 177 for 4 in 19 overs, sealing victory with six balls remaining and taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Dulani remained unbeaten on 101 from 64 deliveries, striking 17 fours and one six in a match-winning innings that earned her the Player of the Match award.
Pakistan Post Competitive 176
Pakistan made an excellent start after batting first, racing to 64 without loss during the powerplay. Muneeba Ali attacked from the beginning and smashed 41 runs from only 22 balls during the fielding restrictions. She was dismissed shortly after the powerplay for 42 from 24 deliveries.
Her opening partner Shawaal Zulfiqar continued the momentum with an excellent 63 from 41 balls, batting until the 16th over and providing the foundation for a strong total.
Pakistan entered the final five overs at 127 for 2 and appeared well placed to push beyond 180. However, Sri Lanka managed to limit the late acceleration as wickets began to fall.
The visitors added 49 runs during the closing five overs and finished on 176 for 7.
Kavisha Dilhari was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler, claiming 2 for 36. The seamers struggled to make an impact, particularly during a powerplay in which Pakistan did not lose a wicket.
Athapaththu Gives Sri Lanka Explosive Start
Sri Lanka responded aggressively through Dulani and captain Chamari Athapaththu. Dulani began her attack in the third over by striking Humna Bilal for four consecutive boundaries.
Athapaththu was even more destructive during the powerplay, racing to 37 from 19 deliveries. Dulani contributed 27 from 17 as Sri Lanka scored at 11.16 runs per over during the opening phase.
The rapid start ensured the required rate never became a major concern during the chase.
Athapaththu eventually fell for 39 from 22 balls, becoming the first of Nashra Sandhu’s two wickets.
Dulani Anchors Chase Through Middle Overs
Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals after Athapaththu’s dismissal, but Dulani remained composed. She treated Sandhu with caution while continuing to score freely against the rest of Pakistan’s attack. Her ability to rotate the strike and repeatedly find the boundary prevented the visitors from building sustained pressure.
Dulani held the innings together as Sri Lanka’s middle order provided enough support to keep the chase under control.
Sandhu finished as Pakistan’s leading bowler with figures of 2 for 25, but the rest of the attack struggled to contain Dulani.
Historic First T20I Century for Dulani
Dulani reached her hundred from the 63rd ball she faced. Her unbeaten 101 was only the fifth century scored by a Sri Lankan woman in T20 Internationals. More significantly, she became the first Sri Lankan player other than Athapaththu to reach three figures in the format.
The innings also made the 24-year-old only the fourth Sri Lankan woman to score an international century across formats.
Athapaththu, Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama are the other Sri Lankan women to have registered international hundreds. With Gunaratne and Samarawickrama also featuring in Sri Lanka’s current top five, Dulani’s achievement further highlighted the growing depth in the team’s batting lineup.
Sri Lanka Take Series Lead
Dulani remained at the crease until the target was completed, guiding Sri Lanka home in 19 overs. Her partnership-building, boundary-hitting and composure under pressure allowed the hosts to chase a total that has often proved difficult to overhaul at Dambulla.
Pakistan can take encouragement from the performances of Muneeba and Shawaal, but they will regret failing to maximise their strong position at the start of the final five overs.
Having already lost the ODI series 2-1, Pakistan must now win both remaining T20Is to finish the tour with a trophy.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will enter the second match with confidence after one of their most impressive successful chases, inspired by Dulani’s historic unbeaten century.
