Pakistan and Sri Lanka Face Off in Crucial Opening-Day Clash

In the second match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan and Sri Lanka squared off after Bangladesh’s victory over Scotland earlier in the day.

Toss: Pakistan Opt to Bat First

Pakistan’s newly appointed captain, Fatima Sana, won the toss and chose to bat first in her debut as team leader in a major tournament, setting the stage in Sharjah.

However, Sri Lanka got off to a strong start, with Sugandika Kumari taking charge early. Kumari dismissed both of Pakistan’s openers, Gull Feroza (2 off 4) and Muneeba Ali (11 off 14), catching them behind the stumps and restricting Pakistan’s progress during the powerplay.

As the game progressed into the evening, conditions became trickier with dew and lights expected to play a role, especially for fielding teams. Pakistan aimed to put up a competitive score to mitigate these challenges and halt the momentum of an in-form Sri Lanka.

The Teams:

Pakistan: Muneeba Ali (wk), Gull Feroza, Sidra Amin, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal, Omaima Sohail
Sri Lanka: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Nilakshi de Silva, Hasini Perera, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani

The tournament will feature 23 matches spread over 18 days, with all fixtures taking place in the host cities of Dubai and Sharjah.