Sri Lanka Women won their maiden match of the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup with a seven-run victory over Bangladesh Women during Match 21 at the DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. Full of drama, the match saw captain Chamari Athapaththu take charge from the front with both her bat and ball, steering her team to the narrow victory. The game became a nail-biting finish as Bangladesh, though dominant for the better part of the chase, spectacularly collapsed in the last overs.

Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka lost opener Vishmi Gunaratne on the very first ball to Marufa Akter, putting pressure on their innings early on. Chamari Athapaththu (46 from 43) and Hasini Perera (85), however, rescued the innings with a 72-run partnership, which was pivotal in placing the innings in good stead. Together, they provided a strong platform to Sri Lanka, but once they were dismissed, the middle order was unable to keep the momentum going. The team, which had been cruising at 155-4, were bowled out for 202 off 48.4 overs eventually. Shorna Akter was the star for Bangladesh with 3-27, while Rabeya Khan and Marufa Akter got important wickets.

In reply, Bangladesh's chase began on a poor note as they stumbled to 44-3 in 16 overs. But skipper Nigar Sultana Joty (77 off 98) and Sharmin Akhter (53) stemmed the flow and pulled the innings back with patience and discipline. Their stand placed Bangladesh in a commanding position at 176-3 with only 27 runs from the last 30 balls required for victory. But Sri Lanka's bowlers, led by Chamari Athapaththu, again flip the match dramatically towards the end to record a thrilling victory. Below are the top reasons for the Bangladesh Women defeat:

1. Collapse of Batting in the End

Bangladesh was sailing toward victory before collapsing to five wickets in eight balls. They went from 176-3 to 195-9, unable to cope with increasing pressure. The batters lost focus in the final moments of the inning which allowed Sri Lanka to reinforce their position in the game. The collapse was ultimately the biggest reason Bangladesh lost in a heartbreaking defeat.

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2. Poor Start to the Top Order

Bangladesh's top order struggled to create momentum at the start of the innings, with Rubya Haider going for a duck and Sobhana Mostary just adding eight runs. After 24 runs during the Powerplay, Bangladesh were quickly put on the back foot. With a lack of early partnerships, there was a lot of work for the middle order to do.

3. Nigar Sultana's Injury Issues

Captain Nigar Sultana Joty's hamstring pull was a huge setback for Bangladesh. While she could manage only a gritty knock of 77, her restricted movement spoiled her run and shot choice towards the last overs. Her wicket was at a timing when Sri Lanka could capitalize on it, and once she was dismissed, Bangladesh's chase lost direction, handing Sri Lanka a deserving win.

Co-hosts Sri Lanka Women snatched their first win the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 after defeating Bangladesh Women in the final over drama, as the Lankans can still fight for the only remaining Semi-finals spot of the tournament, while Bangladesh Women's last-four qualification hope ended.

While Sri Lanka Women and Bangladesh Women faced each other at Navi Mumbai on Monday (October 20), Sri Lanka Women chose to bat first after winning the toss. Sri Lanka Women scored 202 all out in 48.4 overs, while they were once batting at 174/4 in the 32nd over, and they restricted Bangladesh Women for 195/9 in 50 overs, as Sri Lanka Women won by seven runs.

See Also: Top 3 reasons why Bangladesh-W lost to Sri Lanka-W in the Women's World Cup 2025 match 21

Bangladesh Women lost 4 consecutive wickets in final over

In the Final over, Bangladesh Women needed nine runs, and they had five wickets in hand, while the Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu delivered the last over. On the first delivery, she traped Rabeya Khan (1) for the lbw while a review couldn't save her, and on the next delivery, Nahida Akter was run out for a golden duck as Nilakshika Silva's direct hit from mid-off cost that wicket.

While the Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana was back on the strike at 77 runs, Sharmin Akhter returned from the retired hurt, who already scored 64 runs. On the third ball of the over, Sultana was caught out at the long off, as it was the hat-trick for the Sri Lankan team. Athapaththu recorded another lbw dismissal on the next ball as Marufa Akter was also dismissed for a golden duck and another review couldn't save the batter.   

While Athapaththu was on a hat-trick ball, Nishita Akter Nishi finally added a run in the over through a single. As Sri Lanka Women had the match completely, the Lankan skipper ended the game with a dot, as Sri Lanka Women took four wickets for just one run in the final over, including three wickets for Athapaththu, as she ended with the bowling figures of 10-0-42-4. 

Chamari Athapaththu, Hasini Perera, and Nilakshika Silva had important roles in Sri Lankan innings

Earlier, in the Sri Lankan innings, skipper Athapaththu scored 46 off 43 balls, while the Player of the Match Hasini Perera scored 85 off 99 balls. Nilakshika Silva also played a crucial innings of 37 off 38 balls.  



   

The ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 continues with Match No. 15 with Sri Lanka Women (SL-W) v New Zealand Women (NZ-W) at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Tuesday, October 14. Sri Lanka Women have struggled so far, failing to register a win in the competition. The side led by Chamari Athapaththu will be eager to improve on their record and show South Asian support with a good performance in front of home support. With pressure mounting, Sri Lanka will be looking for good contributions from their experienced batters and spinners to inspire a change in fortunes. 

On the otherside, New Zealand Women sit fifth on the points table with one win and two losses from three games. The Sophie Devine-led team started this tournament slowly but is still in contention for a semifinal berth. The White Ferns will be looking for a strong win against Sri Lanka to get them back into the top four and raise their net run rate ahead of the important last rounds.

SL-W vs NZ-W: Head-to-Head in ODIs

New Zealand Women hold a strong record against Sri Lanka Women, winning 13 of their 16 encounters so far.

• Matches Played: 16
• SL-W Won: 2
• NZ-W Won: 13
• No Result: 1

SL-W vs NZ-W: Stadium Stats (ODIs)

The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has seen teams that bat first have success, as the first-innings scores are usually high and can be decisive.

• Total Matches: 182
• Matches won batting first: 101
• Matches won bowling first: 69
• Average 1st Innings Score: 233
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 190
• Highest Total: 375/5 (50 overs) by IND vs SL
• Lowest Total: 50/10 (15.2 overs) by SL vs IND
• Highest Successful Chase: 292/4 (48.3 overs) by SL vs AUS
• Lowest Total Defended: 170/10 (49.2 overs) by WI-W vs SL-W

See Also: Women's World Cup 2025 Qualification Scenarios: How can India still qualify for semi-final?

SL-W vs NZ-W: Predicted Playing XIs

Sri Lanka Women (SL-W): Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu (C), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (WK), Dewmi Vihanga, Sugandika Kumari, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera.

New Zealand Women (NZ-W): Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (C), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (WK), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson.

Women’s World Cup 2025: Points Table

After the completion of fourteen matches, the updated points table is as follows:

England Women secured their third straight win in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 by beating Sri Lanka Women by 89 runs in Match 12. With this win, England temporarily moved to the top of the points table. After losing a couple of early wickets in the powerplay, Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt stabilized the innings. England’s middle order struggled for a while, but Sciver-Brunt remained strong and scored a brilliant 117 off 117 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, guiding England to a challenging total of 253.

Sri Lanka’s bowling was led by Inoka Ranaweera, who took three wickets, while Udeshika Prabodhani and Sugandika Kumari picked up two wickets each. Despite this, they allowed enough runs for England to set a large target. Chamari Athapaththu had to retire hurt early on and only returned to make 15 runs. Although Sri Lanka started their chase with a little hope, early wickets, including Hasini Perera to Sophie Ecclestone, put them under pressure. Ecclestone bowled superbly, taking 4 wickets for 17 runs in her 10 overs.

Sri Lanka struggled to build partnerships, with only three players making 20 runs or more. England’s bowlers, including Sciver-Brunt, who took two wickets in the second innings, made sure the chase never took off. England dominated with bat and ball while Sri Lanka could not recover from early difficulties. This win was another strong performance for England, while Sri Lanka remains winless in the tournament. Below are the main reasons for the Sri Lanka Women's defeat:

1. Nat Sciver-Brunt's Century

Nat Sciver-Brunt made an outstanding knock of 117 runs off 117 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, making her the first to register a fifth hundred in ICC Women's World Cup history. She was dropped on a modest score of 3 early on, which ultimately cost Sri Lanka. This century helped England to a respectable total of 253 for 9 in their full 50 overs.

See Also: Women's World Cup 2025 Match 13: IND-W vs AUS-W head-to-head, stadium stats, predicted playing XIs & points table

2. Sophie Ecclestone's Bowling Masterclass

Sophie Ecclestone, a left-arm spinner, played a brilliant bowling performance, taking 4 wickets for just 17 runs in 10 overs. She sparked a middle-order collapse for Sri Lanka taking three wickets for just eight runs in a crucial four-over spell. Her wickets included such key batters as Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, and Chamari Athapaththu.

3. Sri Lanka's batting collapse and inability to build sustained partnerships

After a good beginning, where they reached 95/2 at one point, Sri Lanka's batting collapsed after the inclusion of Ecclestone in the bowling team. Only Hasini Perera (35 runs) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33 runs) scored decent runs before the team's collapse. The team could not establish settled partnerships required to chase the tough score of England. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 164 in 45.4 overs, losing by 89 runs.

In Match 12 of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, England Women rolled on with a clinical 89-run win over Sri Lanka Women at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Batting first, England scored a challenging 253/9 in 50 overs after a brilliant century from captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who scored 117 off 117 balls, her innings knit the innings together even as the wickets fell regularly from the other end. The bowling from Sri Lanka was impressive, led by Inoka Ranaweera who took 3/33, the England batters combined to set a total that was defendable on a surface that took plenty of spin.

In reply, Sri Lanka Women couldn't gain momentum in their pursuit and were finally bowled out for 164 in 45.4 overs. Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone was England's chief destroyer, dismantling the Sri Lankan batting order with the figures of 4/17 from her 10 overs. Hasini Perera (35) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33) contributed but failed to convert their efforts into winning scores. England's overall performance across all departments earned them the win and took them to the top of the points table.

ENG-W vs SL-W: Who Said What?

Nat Sciver-Brunt (Player of the Match):

"Our plan was to build a partnership with Heather Knight and stay till the end, which is something we’ve talked about a lot. The pitch was inconsistent, so I focused on playing straight and minimizing risks. It’s very special to score my first hundred as captain, I’m really happy to contribute to the team’s win."

See Also: Nat Sciver-Brunt creates new history in Women's World Cup during SL-W vs ENG-W match in Women's Cricket World Cup 2025

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka Captain):

"We bowled really well for most of the innings, but the last few overs cost us 30–40 runs. Dropping the catch of Nat Sciver-Brunt changed the game, that’s why they say catches win matches. We improved in some areas but need better execution, especially with the bat. As professional players, we must perform consistently for the team. I’m feeling okay physically and hope to bounce back stronger in the next match."

Nat Sciver-Brunt (England Captain):

"We started off really well, and Amy and Tammy showed great intent early on. The pitch got tricky after the powerplay, but adapting quickly helped. Batting at No. 3 worked well for the team, and once I was set, the ball came nicely onto the bat. Sophie Ecclestone was brilliant, to have someone who gives you both control and wickets is a captain’s dream. We’ve played good cricket in patches, but we need more big partnerships to feel comfortable going forward."

England Women (ENG W) will take on Sri Lanka Women (SL W) in Match No. 12 of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday, October 11. The English outfit captained by Heather Knight has been in terrific form thus far, winning both of their opening matches with ease and sitting second on the points table. England’s versatility and experience is strengthening their case as one of the main title contenders this year. 

Sri Lanka Women, under the captaincy of Chamari Athapaththu, are still chasing their first victory of the competition. Sri Lanka suffered a loss in their opening match against India, followed by a washout against Australia in their second match, leaving them with just one point. The batting line-up from the island nation will need to be more consistent if they are to put England’s strong bowling attack to the test. 

England have dominated Sri Lanka historically, with their head-to-head statistics proving this further. Sri Lanka will need a spirited performance from their captain and senior players to stun the opposition in Colombo. The tournament is moving quickly now, and both teams will be keen to fortify their position on the table, and build some momentum.

ENG-W vs SL-W Head-to-Head in ODIs

England Women have a dominant record over Sri Lanka Women, having won most of their past encounters convincingly across formats.

• Matches Played: 20
• ENG-W Won: 17
• SL-W Won: 1
• No Result: 2

ENG-W vs SL-W: Stadium Stats (ODIs)

The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has seen teams that bat first have success, as the first-innings scores are usually high and can be decisive.

• Total Matches: 181
• Matches won batting first: 100
• Matches won bowling first: 69
• Average 1st Innings Score: 232
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 190
• Highest Total: 375/5 (50 overs) by IND vs SL
• Lowest Total: 50/10 (15.2 overs) by SL vs IND
• Highest Successful Chase: 292/4 (48.3 overs) by SL vs AUS
• Lowest Total Defended: 170/10 (49.2 overs) by WI-W vs SL-W

See Also: Women’s World Cup 2025: Who said what? after NZ-W vs BAN-W match 11

ENG-W vs SL-W: Predicted Playing XIs

England Women (ENG-W): Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Sri Lanka Women (SL-W): Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera

Women’s World Cup 2025: Points Table

After the completion of eleven matches, the points table looks like this:

Match No. 5 of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025  will take place at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, with Sri Lanka Women (SL-W) taking on Australia Women (AUS-W) on Saturday, October 4 at 3:00 PM IST. The tournament is being co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, with Colombo as one of the primary venues in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, captained by Chamari Athapaththu, got off to a rough start to the tournament, losing to India Women by 59 runs via the DLS method. Their batters struggled to chase down the 270 runs target, and now sit in sixth place in the points table with a negative NRR of -1.255. Sri Lanka have had difficulty against Australia in the past, having lost all 11 ODIs against them.

On the otherhand, Australia Women started in style; they defeated New Zealand Women by 89 runs in their opening match. Alyssa Healy’s side, led by Ashleigh Gardner, scored 326 runs. Although Sophie Devine, New Zealand captain, scored a century, New Zealand were all out for 237 runs, thus losing by a close margin of over 80 runs.

SL-W vs AUS-W: Head-to-Head Record (ODIs)

Australia Women hold a 100% win record over Sri Lanka Women in ODIs, winning all 11 encounters played so far.

• Matches Played: 11
• Sri Lanka-W Won: 0
• Australia-W Won: 11
• Tied: 0

SL-W vs AUS-W: Stadium Stats (ODIs)

The R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has seen teams that bat first have success, as the first-innings scores are usually high and can be decisive.

• Total Matches: 179
• Matches won batting first: 98
• Matches won bowling first: 69
• Average 1st Innings Score: 232
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 191
• Highest Total: 375/5 (50 overs) by IND vs SL
• Lowest Total: 50/10 (15.2 overs) by SL vs IND
• Highest Successful Chase: 292/4 (48.3 overs) by SL vs AUS
• Lowest Total Defended: 170/10 (49.2 overs) by WI-W vs SL-W

See Also: Women's World Cup 2025: Who said what? after ENG-W vs SA-W match 4

SL-W vs AUS-W: Predicted Playing XIs

Sri Lanka Women (SL-W): Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera

Australia Women (AUS-W): Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown

Women’s World Cup 2025: Points Table

After the completion of four matches, the points table looks like this.

India Women began the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup with a comfortable 59-run win over Sri Lanka Women in Guwahati. The match was shortened to 47 overs a side after rain reduced the match but was planty exciting for the fans watching. India were in deep trouble at 124/6, but a brilliant 103-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma took them to 269/8. Amanjot scored 57 off 56 balls, while Deepti made 53 from 53 balls. For Sri Lanka, Inoka Ranaweera was the standout bowler, taking 4/46.

Sri Lanka’s chase never really gained momentum. The DLS target was set at 270, and they were bowled out for 211 in 45.4 overs. Captain Chamari Athapaththu was the top scorer with 43 runs, with Nilakshi de Silva quickly adding 35 runs, but the rest of the team was not able to provide enough support. India were able to maintain their pressure with their spinners, led by Deepti Sharma, as wickets steadily fell and India would go on to win comfortably. Below are the main reasons for Sri Lanka defeat:

1. Middle-Order Collapse

Sri Lanka had India struggling at 124/6, but they let the game slip by allowing India’s lower order to rebuild. Later, when Sri Lanka batted, their middle order failed to step up after Athapaththu’s dismissal. No Boundaries, and partnerships never developed. Nilakshi de Silva tried her best, but she could not find a reliable partner.

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2. Lack of Batting Depth

India had batting depth, and Amanjot and Deepti stepped up for their team under pressure, while Sri Lanka did not. Once Sri Lanka lost their top players, no one played a long and measured innings. The difference in batting depth was visible at the end of the match.

3. India’s Tight Bowling and Sri Lanka’s Fielding Mistakes

India's bowlers were disciplined, particularly their spinners. Deepti took three wickets and Sneh Rana and Sree Charani took two each. They controlled the run rate and made the batters make mistakes. Sri Lanka still dropped key catches, including Amanjot Kaur, whom they gave multiple lives. Those chances cost them dearly.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu is filled with hope as her team prepares for the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, which runs from Sept. 30. Being co-hosted in India and Sri Lanka, Athapaththu feels the team's understanding of the sub-continent will play a big part in their tournament.

The Islanders missed the last edition in New Zealand in 2022, but this time they are returning and intend to make a big impression. The team's best finish at the world event in 2013 (sub-continent) gives Athapaththu and her team reassurance after they finished fifth, which was a big milestone. That memory makes the team feel extra motivated.

Athapaththu confident of Sri Lanka’s chances at Women’s World Cup

“The sub-continent conditions are something we are used to, and I feel that will give us a secret advantage,” said Athapaththu to the ICC. “With the right mix of youth and experience, this is our chance to shine and take Sri Lankan women's cricket to the next level.” The Sri Lankan captain is quick to underline that her side won’t take any team lightly at the tournament. “Every team comes here to win, so we must respect every team and game with all intensity. We want to set the tone against India in Guwahati on September 30,” stated Athapaththu.

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Following their opener, Sri Lanka will play five of their remaining group matches in Colombo with home support. Athapaththu views this as an enormous opportunity: “Playing at home is special. We hope there are a lot of fans who get behind us and support us. Their support can give us a lift at a key moment.”

Upon reflection of where Sri Lanka is now compared to when it had those opportune wins in 2013 over the England and India, which at the time of entry was the proudest achievement in the World Cup, Athapaththu pointed out, “That was the proudest World Cup we had at that time. We have grown since then as a team, and now we really do believe that we can compete against any team in the world.”

Sri Lanka will draw upon the mixture of experienced players who have been on the team and the younger players who are new to this stage to produce another memorable chapter in Sri Lanka's cricket history, with Athapaththu at the forefront.

Sri Lanka squad: 

Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Imesha Dulani, Dewmi Vihanga, Piumi Wathsala, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Dasanayaka, Udeshika Prabodani, Malki Madara, Achini Kulasooriya.
Reserve: Inoshi Fernando

Sri Lanka Cricket's much-awaited awards night made a spectacular comeback on Monday, hosting the best cricketing performances of the 2024 calendar year. The event, which was staged annually for the first time since 2017, recognized outstanding contributions across both international and domestic circuits. Kamindu Mendis and Chamari Athapaththu were the biggest winners of the night, taking home the coveted Men's and Women's Cricketer of the Year honors.

Kamindu was rewarded for a remarkable Test season in which he had scored 1049 runs at a 74.92 average from just nine matches for being the Best Test Batter. His run tally was only beaten by four international cricketers who appeared in more matches. In white-ball cricket, the award for best T20I batter went to Kusal Mendis, who had scored 628 runs at a 127.64 strike rate. Pathum Nissanka won the ODI batter award with 694 runs at 63.09, including a historic undefeated 210 against Afghanistan—the first-ever white-ball double hundred by a Sri Lankan.

Chamari Athapaththu swept the women's categories with six awards in total. She was crowned the Women's Cricketer of the Year and collected all three T20I awards—best batter, bowler, and all-rounder—due to her 720 runs and 21 wickets. In ODIs, she was recognized as both the best batter and best all-rounder, scoring 458 runs at 65.42 and claiming nine wickets. Only Kavisha Dilhari’s 17 ODI wickets kept Athapaththu from a clean sweep, as she secured the ODI bowling award.

Broad recognition across formats and domestic cricket

For the men's Test category, Prabath Jayasuriya was awarded Best Bowler after taking 48 wickets from nine matches, putting him among the world's best performers. Dhananjaya de Silva took home Best Test All-Rounder for his 710 runs and six wickets in ten games. Wanindu Hasaranga had a great year in limited-overs cricket, winning Best Bowler in both ODIs and T20Is and the Best T20I All-Rounder award after claiming 64 wickets in the formats.

Charith Asalanka was awarded the ODI All-Rounder of the Year for his 605 runs and ten wickets, playing a pivotal part in Sri Lanka's 12-3 record in the format. Janith Liyanage, having made his ODI debut in early 2024, won Emerging Player of the Year for his 462 runs at 46.20.

Also Read: WTC Final 2025, Australia vs South Africa: Live streaming, timing, venue, and squad details

Domestic cricket was also in the limelight, with women's performances awarded for the first time. Rashmi Silva, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Nilakshika Silva were among the best award winners in the Major Club Women's Invitational. Chamika Karunaratne, Akila Dananjaya, and others were among the top award winners in men's domestic competitions across formats. 46 awards were distributed, including Umpire and Match Referee of the Year and a number of Lifetime Achievement Awards. The occasion was attended by a number of previous and present cricketers, with Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage as the guest of honor.