Athapaththu had never taken five in a T20I, and she finished with 7 for 5 and a hat-trick
Indonesia were bowled out for 49 in Dubai on Wednesday night, and Sri Lanka’s captain took seven of the wickets, three of them in consecutive balls.
Sep 3, 2026
Chamari Athapaththu made her name as a batter. On Wednesday night in Dubai she bowled three and a half overs and took seven wickets for five runs.
Nobody from a Full Member nation has bowled better in a women’s T20 international, and nobody at all has bowled better in a Women’s Asia Cup. After more than a decade of international cricket, it was also her first five-wicket haul in the format.
The spell
Indonesia needed 125 to win. They were bowled out for 49 in 18.3 overs. Only two of their batters reached double figures: Ni Made Putri Suwandewi, unbeaten on 12 from 32 balls, and opener Rahmawati Pangestuti, who made 10 from 14. The opening stand of 18 was the biggest partnership of the innings.
Athapaththu finished it with the last three deliveries of her spell, taking a wicket with each. No Sri Lankan woman had taken a hat-trick in a T20 international before.
“I just attacked the stumps, no other mantra,” she said afterwards.
Kavisha Dilhari took a wicket and gave away two runs in her three overs. Against all of it, Indonesia managed 49.
Sri Lanka needed rescuing first
The spell covered a batting effort that had gone badly wrong. Indonesia bowled first and Sri Lanka were 62 for 6 in the 13th over with the top order gone. Nilakshika Silva, batting at six, made 50 from 35 balls with three fours and a six, and Sri Lanka finished on 124 for 7. Ni Luh Dewi was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 32.
A total of 124 on a Dubai pitch is defensible rather than commanding. It turned out to be about 70 more than Sri Lanka needed.
Group B is close to settled
Two wins from two puts Sri Lanka top of Group B on four points, with a net run rate above four. They beat the UAE by nine wickets on August 29 and close their group against Bangladesh on September 6. Bangladesh, who beat Indonesia by 71 runs on August 31, sit second.
Two teams from each group go through to the semi-finals, so Sri Lanka’s place is all but booked. One caveat worth holding on to: this was the first meeting between these two sides in a women’s T20 international, and Indonesia are new to this level. Forty-nine all out says as much about that as it does about the bowling.
Group A resumes on Thursday night, when India face Hong Kong in Dubai.