Until then, keep following CREX for more cricketing action from around the world. This is the quartet of Darpan, Abhishek, Paras and Aman signing off. Sayonara!
Before that, tomorrow, Pakistan Women clash with Hong Kong Women. The last chance in the group stage for either of those sides to show what they're capable of. Do join us for it. Our coverage will begin at 7 PM IST, 5:30 PM local time.
For Bangladesh Women, the equation is now simple. Beat UAE Women and get to the semifinal to lock horns with India Women. A loss in their last group stage fixture will eliminate them from the competition. That all important fixture featuring the hosts is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8.
With their performances in the group stage, Sri Lanka Women have justified the tag of the defending champions. They march into the semifinals undefeated and will be extremely chuffed about it. However, the last two games have revealed that the batting is not quite clicking the way they would want. As the challenge becomes stiffer in the upcoming games, it will be something to keep an eye on.
Most Runs for Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh in WT20Is:
425 - Harshitha Samarawickrama
399 - Chamari Athapaththu
248 - Nilakshi de Silva
Highest 7th Wicket Partnerships for Sri Lanka in WT20Is:
50 - Nilakshi de Silva & Kawya Kavindi vs Indonesia, Dubai (DICS), 2026
45 - Chamari Polgampola & Shashikala Siriwardene vs India, Vizianagaram, 2014
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka Women Captain): "(Happy with the chase) Yeah, definitely. Harshita is one of our best players in the team. She knows how to handle the pressure, and especially Nilakshi supported her really well. The way they batted in the middle under pressure was really good. As a captain and as a team, we’re really proud of the way they played.
(About her bowling spells coming off well in the tournament) Yeah, definitely. I’m a batter, but yeah, the win is really good for the team, and we’ll focus on our next game. Let’s see how we can play against Pakistan in the semi-final.
(Booking their berth in the semis) It’s a really good thing for the team, especially the young players. A lot of players in my team are very young, so this is really good for all the members of my team."
Harshitha Samarawickrama [POTM]: "(Her thoughts on her performance) Very happy about my performance. This performance contributed towards the team's win. That is the most important thing.
(What was the message given to her when she went in to bat) The captain and the coach told me to play deep, until the 20th over, and that is what I tried to do.
(On the pitch) Compared to last few games, this wicket was better to bat on."
Player of the Match: Harshitha Samarawickrama
Nigar Sultana (Bangladesh Women Captain): "(Thoughts on the loss) Yeah, I think initially we were short by 10–15 runs, definitely, considering how we started our innings. In the middle, we held our nerves but couldn’t finish it off in the last few overs. But I think we started well with the ball too, but somehow we lost the momentum in the last few overs.
(On the bowling performance today) Yeah, I guess we created some chances, but we couldn’t capitalise on them. I think Marufa was bowling really well and gave us a wonderful start. Even though Sultana bowled really well in there. So, I think it’s just hard luck. If we could have fielded really well in the middle, maybe the scenario might have been different. Yeah, bad luck today."