Sri Lanka Level Series in Rajshahi

Sri Lanka Women secured a four-wicket victory over Bangladesh Women in the second One Day International at Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi, thereby levelling the three-match series at 1–1. The decisive third and final match is scheduled to be held at the same venue on Saturday.

After winning the toss, Bangladesh opted to bat first but were unable to post a substantial total. The hosts were bowled out for 165 runs in 45.5 overs. In comparison, Sri Lanka reached the target with relative control, scoring 166 for 6 in 38.2 overs, with 70 deliveries remaining and four wickets in hand.

Bangladesh’s innings was characterised by early setbacks. Within the first 4.4 overs, the team had lost two wickets for just 4 runs, with opener Juiaria Ferdous dismissed for 2 and Sharmin Akhter, who had scored 86 in the previous match, departing without scoring. This placed immediate pressure on the batting line-up.

Captain Nigar Sultana was the principal contributor, scoring 58 runs from 101 deliveries. She attempted to stabilise the innings through a series of partnerships. A 45-run stand for the third wicket with Sharmin Sultana (25) provided some recovery. Nigar also added 32 runs for the fifth wicket with Shorna Akter, 24 runs for the sixth wicket with Ritu Moni, and 33 runs for the seventh wicket with Nahida Akter. Nahida contributed 20 runs, while Ritu scored 17. Despite these efforts, Bangladesh were unable to build sustained momentum.

Sri Lanka’s bowling effort was led by Chamari Athapaththu, who claimed 3 wickets for 36 runs. Additional support came from Ranabira (2/28), Nimasha (2/29), and Madara (2/30), ensuring that Bangladesh were restricted to a modest total.

In response, Sri Lanka lost two wickets for 46 runs within 10.2 overs. However, the required run rate remained manageable throughout the innings. A key turning point came through a 33-run partnership for the third wicket between Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama.

The most significant contribution came in the fourth-wicket partnership, where Samarawickrama and Hansima Karunaratne added 77 runs. Samarawickrama scored 50 runs, anchoring the chase, while both Athapaththu and Karunaratne contributed 40 runs each. These partnerships ensured that Sri Lanka progressed steadily towards the target.

Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Nahida Akter delivered a notable bowling performance, taking 4 wickets for 21 runs. Notably, three of her wickets came within a span of seven deliveries. Ritu Moni and Sultana each claimed one wicket, but the overall bowling effort was insufficient to prevent Sri Lanka from completing the chase.

A summary of the match statistics is presented below:

In the first ODI, Bangladesh had secured a three-wicket victory, successfully chasing down Sri Lanka’s total of 205 with nine balls remaining. With the series now level at 1–1, the outcome will be determined in the final match in Rajshahi.