Key Takeaways
- Pakistan women's cricket team defeated Bangladesh to secure bronze at the Asian Games.
- Captain Fatima Sana's 30-ball 45 helped Pakistan post a competitive total.
- Umm-e-Hani's three-wicket spell restricted Bangladesh to 114 runs.
Pakistan's women's cricket team secured a hard-fought bronze medal at the Asian Games after defeating Bangladesh by 31 runs in the final match on Tuesday. The victory came in the women's cricket competition held in Nisshin, Japan.
Captain Fatima Sana's aggressive 30-ball 45, which included three fours and three sixes, was instrumental in Pakistan's innings. She added 67 runs from 43 balls with Aliya Riaz, taking Pakistan's total to a competitive 145 for eight.
Umm-e-Hani's superb three-wicket spell, conceding only 10 runs in her four overs, including a wicket-maiden, played a crucial role in Pakistan's success. Her performance was particularly significant, as she entered the match as Pakistan's leading run-scorer in women's Twenty20 internationals in 2026 and took her tally to 540 with this knock.
Pakistan's innings began steadily after Fatima won the toss and elected to bat. Gull Feroza and Shawaal Zulfiqar put on 46 runs in 6.4 overs, but Bangladesh seized control, taking five wickets for 21 runs to leave Pakistan struggling at 67 for five.
Fatima and Aliya rebuilt the innings, adding 55 runs in the final five overs. Fatima struck Rabeya Khan for six before both batters cleared the ropes against Sanjida Akter in the 17th over. Despite Bangladesh's efforts, Pakistan's total of 145 for eight proved sufficient.
Bangladesh's captain Nigar Sultana and Sharmin Akhter added 47 runs for the fourth wicket, with Nigar making 25 off 30 balls and Sharmin remaining unbeaten on 46. However, with Bangladesh requiring more than 10 runs an over at the halfway stage, the task became increasingly difficult.
Pakistan's defence began emphatically as Umm-e-Hani and Tasmia Rubab reduced Bangladesh to 20 for three inside five overs. Umm-e-Hani struck in her first over, removing Juairiya Ferdous, before Tasmia dismissed Dilara Akter for 12. Umm-e-Hani then removed Sobhana Mostary early in the fifth over.
The medal is Pakistan's third in the women's cricket competition at the Asian Games, following gold-medal triumphs in 2010 and 2014. It also marked a measure of redemption for Pakistan, who had lost the bronze-medal match to Bangladesh at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
