In a nail-biting encounter at the Women’s World Cup on Monday, Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by seven runs, keeping their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive. Despite strong batting performances from captain Nigar Sultana and Sharmin Akhter, Bangladesh fell just short of the 203-run target, ending their campaign on a disappointing note. The game went down to the final over, where Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu turned the tables with her brilliant bowling. She picked up three wickets in her last over to seal a dramatic win for her side. The result means Bangladesh are now out of the tournament, while Sri Lanka remains in contention, though their qualification chances depend on other results. Bangladesh ended at 195 for 9 in 50 overs, falling short by just seven runs. For Sri Lanka, the win kept their knockout hopes alive, while Bangladesh bowed out with heads held high after a spirited fight. Sri Lanka built a competitive total Batting first, Sri Lanka posted 202 runs in 48.4 overs, thanks to a steady top-order effort. Hasini Perera was the star of the innings with a fine 85, anchoring the side after early setbacks. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu contributed 46 runs, while Nilakshika Silva added a valuable 37 to help the team cross the 200-run mark. Also read: MS Dhoni celebrates Diwali with wife Sakshi and family: CSK, Mumbai Indians post wishes; LSG light up Ekana Stadium with lamps For Bangladesh, Shorna Akter was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 27 runs, while Rabeya Khan chipped in with 2 for 39. The bowlers did well to restrict Sri Lanka below 210, setting up what seemed like a manageable chase. Also read: ‘How many all-rounders do we want?’: Ashwin slams Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusion from playing XI; Gavaskar defends Rohit, Kohli after Perth flop show Bangladesh’s brave fight ends in heartbreak In reply, Bangladesh got off to a cautious start but soon gained momentum through Sharmin Akhter and Nigar Sultana. Sharmin played a fluent knock of 64 runs before retiring hurt, while captain Nigar led from the front with a fighting 77. Together, they took Bangladesh close to victory. However, things changed dramatically in the final overs. Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu came back into the attack and produced a stunning spell, finishing with 4 wickets for 42 runs. She dismissed key batters in the last over to turn what looked like Bangladesh’s win into a heartbreak. Post navigation England beat New Zealand by 65 runs in 2nd T20I:Phil Salt scores half-century, Adil Rashid bags four wickets; Harry Brook awarded POTM Beyond firecrackers – How cricket adds to India’s pollution problem:Why the sport is a major contributor to emissions a ‘climate casualty in the making’
