Sri Lanka Opt to Bowl Against Pakistan in Rain-Shortened World Cup Clash

Colombo, October 24, 2025 — Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in their final group-stage match of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Persistent monsoon rains delayed the start by nearly three hours, reducing the contest to 34 overs per side.

Both teams are already out of semi-final contention, but Pakistan will be desperate to secure their first win of the tournament, while Sri Lanka will aim to end their campaign on a high.

Athapaththu said the decision to field first was influenced by the damp conditions and her faith in Sri Lanka’s bowling unit. “With the rain around, batting first could be tricky. We back our bowlers to make early inroads and then chase whatever comes our way,” she said, adding that the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method could play a role later in the evening.

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, meanwhile, expressed optimism about her side’s batting on what she believes is a good surface. “It looks like a decent pitch for batting, and with the game shortened, we hope to capitalize with a strong start,” she said.

Team Changes

Sri Lanka made one change, bringing in Dewmi Vihanga for seamer Udeshika Prabodhani, adding an extra spin option for the damp conditions. Pakistan made two alterations — Eyman Fatima and Syeda Aroob Shah came into the side, replacing Sidra Nawaz and Diana Baig.

Match Conditions

With the reduced format, the powerplay will last seven overs, and bowlers’ quotas have been adjusted — one bowler can deliver seven overs, while four others can bowl up to six overs each.
The boundaries have been brought in slightly to 60 metres and 56 metres due to wet patches near the edge of the ground. More rain is forecast for the evening, raising the possibility of further interruptions.

Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Dewmi Vihanga, Malki Madara, Inoka Ranaweera

Pakistan: Omaima Sohail, Muneeba Ali (wk), Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (capt), Eyman Fatima, Rameen Shamim, Syeda Aroob Shah, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal