Sri Lanka, Sept. 20 -- Sri Lanka's women's cricket team booked their place in the gold medal match of the 2026 Asian Games with a commanding eight-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the first semi-final on September 20.

Batting first after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl, Pakistan posted a strong 177 for four in their allotted 20 overs. Ayesha Zafar top-scored with a blistering 71 off 40 balls, while Shawal Zulfiqar made 54 off 50 deliveries. The pair put together a crucial 115-run partnership to lay the foundation for Pakistan's competitive total.

Sri Lanka, however, produced a dominant response, chasing down the target in just 17.5 overs to finish on 178 for two. The victory was secured with 13 balls to spare.

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