Following a dramatic victory against Bangladesh in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, Sri Lanka Captain Chamari Athapaththu offered a candid assessment of her team's chances of reaching the semi-finals, stating, "One more game left, we'll try our best to win and (it) will be a miracle if we can make the semis". The win against Bangladesh keeps Sri Lanka's slim hopes alive, while Bangladesh is now out of contention.
Sri Lanka's victory was hard-fought, with the team needing to defend just eight runs in the final over. Athapaththu herself bowled the over, taking three wickets and effecting a runout to seal the win. Reflecting on the match, Athapaththu acknowledged her team's mistakes with the bat and lauded Bangladesh's middle-overs batting performance. Hasini Perera's 85 and Athapaththu's 46 were crucial in Sri Lanka reaching a total of 202. In response, Bangladesh was going strong with Sharmin Akhter (64 retired hurt) and Nigar Sultana (77). However, a late collapse meant they fell short, ending on 195/9.
Despite the win, Sri Lanka's path to the semi-finals remains challenging. With two points from their first four encounters, their match against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain. To have any chance of reaching the knockout stages, Sri Lanka needed to win their remaining matches. Now that Bangladesh is in the rear mirror, Sri Lanka will next be in action on October 24 when they take on Pakistan.
Sri Lanka's net run rate (NRR) is a significant disadvantage. While they now have four points, the same as India and New Zealand, their NRR is considerably lower, making it difficult to overtake these teams in the standings. Australia, England and South Africa have already secured their places in the semi-finals.
India also faced a setback in their campaign, losing to England by four runs. With two matches remaining against New Zealand and Bangladesh, India needs to win at least one and improve their NRR to stay in contention. The India vs New Zealand match is crucial, effectively a virtual quarter-final. Even if India loses a game, maintaining a superior NRR against New Zealand could secure a semi-final spot.
India and New Zealand have already faced each other in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, where India won by four wickets. The head-to-head record in ODIs favors India, with 61 wins compared to New Zealand's 50. However, in ICC events, both teams are evenly matched.
Looking ahead, Sri Lanka's strength lies in its experienced core leadership, including Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Nilakshika de Silva. They also have a potent spin attack and emerging young talents. A weakness for Sri Lanka is their over-reliance on Chamari Athapaththu. If she fails, the team often struggles. The middle order's fragility and the pressure of expectations as co-hosts are also significant challenges.
