By Hishan Welmilla
Sri Lanka Women produced a remarkable run chase to defeat Pakistan Women by six wickets in the opening T20 encounter, thanks to a sensational unbeaten century by Imesha. Chasing a challenging target of 177, Sri Lanka reached 177/4 in style, sealing an impressive victory and taking early control of the series.
Earlier, Pakistan Women posted a formidable total of 176/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Their innings was built on a solid batting display, with key contributions coming through the middle order to accelerate the scoring. Sri Lanka’s bowlers showed resilience, managing to contain the opposition in the latter stages despite the strong platform set by Pakistan.
In response, Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a steady start before Imesha took center stage with a match-winning performance. Displaying composure and attacking brilliance, she anchored the innings superbly while keeping the required run rate under control. Her unbeaten 101 came off a well-paced knock, combining elegant stroke play with powerful hitting when it mattered most.
Imesha found good support from the middle order, ensuring Sri Lanka stayed on track despite a few wickets falling at crucial moments. Her ability to rotate the strike and find boundaries consistently kept Pakistan’s bowlers under pressure throughout the innings.
The defining moment came in the final overs when Imesha accelerated further, guiding Sri Lanka home with confidence and flair. Her innings not only secured victory but also marked one of the finest individual performances in recent Sri Lankan women’s T20 cricket.
The century also saw Imesha etch her name into the record books. It stands among the notable T20I centuries for Sri Lanka Women, a list headlined by captain Chamari Athapaththu, who holds the highest individual score of 119* in Women’s T20 Internationals for Sri Lanka. Athapaththu has been the dominant figure in Sri Lanka’s T20I batting history, registering multiple centuries on the international stage, including several match-winning knocks in global tournaments. Imesha’s ton now joins this elite group, highlighting the growing depth in Sri Lanka’s women’s batting lineup.
Across Sri Lanka’s overall T20I history, centuries have been rare and special milestones. In men’s T20 Internationals, Mahela Jayawardene became the first Sri Lankan to score a T20I century during the 2010 ICC World T20, followed by Tillakaratne Dilshan’s blistering unbeaten 104 in 2011. In recent years, the baton has been carried forward by players such as Kusal Janith Perera and Pathum Nissanka, with Nissanka becoming the only Sri Lankan to score multiple T20I centuries. These performances underline how significant Imesha’s achievement is, as centuries remain a rare feat in the shortest format for Sri Lanka.
Additionally, her innings powered Sri Lanka to one of their highest successful run chases in Women’s T20Is, further underlining the magnitude of the achievement and the team’s growing confidence in pressure situations.
This victory gives Sri Lanka Women a strong start in the series and highlights their growing strength in the shorter format. With momentum firmly on their side, they will look to carry this confidence into the upcoming matches.
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