Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed seven wickets, including a hat-trick, as the defending champions beat Indonesia by 75 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai.
Athapaththu returned career-best figures of 7-5 from 3.3 overs as Indonesia were bowled out for 49 while chasing 125 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Her remarkable spell helped Sri Lanka recover from an uncertain batting performance in which they had slipped to 62-6 before Nilakshika Silva’s half-century lifted them to 124-7.
Indonesia won the toss and chose to field, a decision that appeared to have paid off as their bowlers made early inroads.
Sri Lanka struggled to score freely on a slow surface and lost two wickets during a powerplay which produced only 31 runs.
The pressure continued to build, with Sri Lanka reduced to 47-5 at the halfway stage. Sanjana Kavindi was the only member of the top five to reach double figures, scoring 15.
Silva then played the innings that changed the direction of the match.
The experienced batter made 50 from 35 balls and shared a 50-run seventh-wicket partnership with Kawya Kavindi. She struck Sri Lanka’s only six of the innings and helped the side add valuable runs during the closing overs.
Indonesia’s Ni Luh Dewi finished with 3-32, while her team’s disciplined bowling and fielding kept Sri Lanka under pressure for much of the innings.
A target of 125 appeared within Indonesia’s reach when openers Maria Corazon and Rahmawati Pangestuti made a positive start, adding 18 for the first wicket.
The introduction of spin, however, transformed the contest.
Chamari Athapaththu, Captain of Sri Lanka celebrates the wicket of I Dewa Ayu Dara Agung Laksmi of Indonesia during the Match 6 of the DP World Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 between Sri Lanka and Indonesia at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on September 2, 2026.
Photo by Vipin Pawar / CREIMAS for ACC
Athapaththu bowled Pangestuti for 10 before removing Corazon and Ni Kadek Fitria Rada Rani with successive deliveries in her next over.
Indonesia ended the powerplay on 21-4 and found it increasingly difficult to rotate the strike against Sri Lanka’s spinners.
Captain Nanda Sakarini made seven from 24 balls before becoming Athapaththu’s fourth wicket. Ni Made Putri Suwandewi was Indonesia’s highest scorer, finishing unbeaten on 12 from 32 deliveries.
Athapaththu returned for the 19th over with Indonesia on 49-7 and brought the match to a dramatic end.
She bowled Ni Kadek Ariani with the first delivery of the over before trapping Sang Maypriani and Dara Paramitha lbw with her next two balls to complete the hat-trick.
The spell was Athapaththu’s first five-wicket haul in T20 internationals and the best bowling figures recorded by a Sri Lankan in the format. She was named Player of the Match for a performance that included three wickets from the final three balls of the contest. ESPNcricinfo match report
Speaking after the match, Athapaththu praised Silva’s contribution but said Sri Lanka’s experienced batters needed to respond better to difficult conditions.
“First of all, I want to appreciate Nilakshi’s knock. She played really good cricket,” Athapaththu said.
“We struggled a lot in the middle. As a senior batting unit, we need to adapt to these conditions and play in a positive way. This is good learning for us before the next game.”
Asked about the thinking behind her record-breaking bowling spell, Athapaththu said she had kept her approach simple by attacking the stumps.
She added that Sri Lanka would review their batting performance before facing Bangladesh in their next Group B match.
Indonesia captain Sakarini said she was proud of the way her bowlers had challenged the defending champions, particularly during the first half of Sri Lanka’s innings.
“My girls did an amazing job in the first 10 overs,” she said. “As a debutant team, playing against Sri Lanka is really hard, but it is also a good opportunity and a good experience for us to improve.”
Indonesia will complete their group campaign against hosts UAE, with Sakarini saying her side would look to play with greater intent.
The victory was Sri Lanka’s second in as many matches and moved them to the top of Group B with four points. Indonesia remain without a win following their opening two fixtures.
