Sri Lanka Women vs Scotland Women, 25th Match, Group B, ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 - CommentarySLW vs SCOW, 25th Match, Group B, ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 - Commentary

Sri Lanka needed a big win to get anywhere close to WI's NRR but they could only wrap up the proceedings in the final over. They need a miracle (WI to lose by a massive margin) to make it to the semis. Looks highly unlikely. Scotland have been part of three close games and they'll be gutted that they ended up on the losing side. Today's loss and the WI game will hurt them more and they've missed the direct qualification for the next T20 WC. On that note, it's time to bring the curtains down on this nail-biting encounter. Tune in tomorrow for the triple-header. Until then, goodbye..

Chamari Athapaththu: First of all, I would like to congratulate Scotland on the way they played today. I'm really happy the way they played. I'm not superstitious. As a team, we are playing really good cricket, but I'm not happy with the way we batted today, because we are not handling the pressure in the middle. But in the last part of the game, Nilakshi, Kaushani and Sugandika played really good. That's why we won. But I feel we need to improve our batting a lot. (On trying to improve the NRR) That's why I tried to go. I tried to to score more runs in the powerplay. That's why I charged every ball. Unfortunately, I got out, so couldn't make that score in 10.3 overs. We need to improve in a lot of areas before the next series. And as a captain, I know we need to improve our batting and the bowling as well. But in this T20 World Cup, we've been playing our best cricket. (On their fielding today) Nilakshi, Kavisha and a few fielders did really good. But as a team, we need to improve our fielding as well. End of the day, we need to improve our cricket. That's the main thing because we have played more cricket compared to Scotland. So as a top nation, we need to play our best cricket in this kind of tournament. We won three games, that's a really good thing. Before coming here, we tried to make the semi-finals, that was our target. But unfortunately, we lost against West Indies. Good positive things, we carry it for next series. (Are you ready to lead the team through to the 2028 T20 WC) It depends on my performance and my fitness. I'm 36 years old now. So let's see what I can do.

Kathryn Bryce (2/2): (On captaining Scotland) I've probably learned a lot. I'm pretty lucky as well with the players I've got to be able to turn to. They've got a lot of experience and the knowledge behind them. So it's been pretty easy at times just to turn to them and be able to back the skills that come out. Just been super impressed with the way that Darcey and Katherine Fraser set the tone in pretty much every single game. That (direct qualification for the next T20 WC) would have meant a lot. And qualification tournaments are absolutely brutal. There's only a couple of spots up for grabs and everyone's getting better and better every year. It's just shown with the quality the Netherlands have had in this tournament as well and the kind of way that we pushed all the teams out there. It would have been fantastic to get over the line, but yeah, I guess we've got some more cricket to play now. (On Darcey Carter) Absolutely unbelievable. She's just gone out there with a smile on her face and backed her skills. She had a tough day out against the West Indies, started off fantastically, and then really struggled for that period. But the way she learned from that and then played that innings against New Zealand, I think that's what this has been all about, and the learning that's come from that has been unbelievable. (On Rachel Slater) She's been outstanding in the powerplay and set us up really well going into those middle periods where we've got those spinners to play, and then the back end. So, absolutely gutted for her to finish like that, but she's been fantastic this tournament. 

Kathryn Bryce (1/2): That (Super Over) definitely crossed my mind. As we started that last over. I thought if we could get a couple of dots in there, you never really knew what was going to happen in the last over. The way that the rest of the match gone, I wouldn't have been surprised. (Frustrated that you couldn't just win those little moments?) Absolutely, that is quite heartbreaking, really. To come so close in probably three of our matches and I think in a lot of really good positions where we could have got over the line. We've played some absolutely incredible cricket and I'm really proud of how the girls have gone out there and fought. But equally, we've also been good enough that we actually should have been able to go over the line, a few of those games and maybe be in a very different position today. (Was 151 a par score?) Definitely felt it was right on the edge. We probably struggled kind of through that middle period. But I think the way that they managed to play at the end and get us up to that total really had us in the game. The way that we fought back through that middle period as well after ... Athapaththu ... the way that she strikes the ball is absolutely unbelievable. But to still be in the game after an innings like that and then fight back and take it to the last over is amazing.

Nilakshika Silva | Player of the Match: I am very proud of this performance, as a team also. In the WI match, I got out early. Today, when Chamari got out I was thinking that I should finish the game. I trust my skill. Kavisha and I were talking about how to build the partnership. Then Kavisha got out, I was under pressure and I was just thinking about finishing the game. Proud to win this Player of the Match award.

21:49 Local Time, 20:49 GMT, 02:19 IST: For the first time, Sri Lanka have won three games in a T20 World Cup. Chasing a competitive target, Chamari Athapaththu got off to a quick start, hitting two fours in the 1st over, followed by 3 fours and a six in the next, racing to 26 off 11. Rachel Slater removed Imesha Dulani, which brought Hasini Perera to the middle and she got going with back-to-back fours. Sri Lanka's 50 came up in the fifth over. In the final over of the powerplay, Katherine Fraser provided the key breakthrough by castling Athapaththu. The new batter - Harshitha Samarawickrama - struck a couple of boundaries in the same over as SL scored 65/2 in the first six overs. Scotland fought back by picking two wickets in the next four overs without conceding a boundary. When Kathryn Bryce returned to remove Harshitha, SL needed 50 runs off 7.3 overs having lost half their side. Nilakshika Silva, who scored a match-winning 54 against NZ, remained calm and took her team home with a run-a-ball 21. Scotland fought hard till the end but a couple of unforced errors (dropped catches and wides) towards the end proved costly for them.

Equation: 2 runs | 2 balls. The field comes in, just one fielder outside the circle (deep midwicket)

Slater runs in and stops. Looks like she may be cramping. Walks back gingerly. Tries again, gets close to the stumps and stops before falling in pain. It's the left leg and the physio is out to tend to her. Slater is walking off the field and she's absolutely distraught and is in tears. Priyanaz Chatterji will complete the over. Right then, 3 needed off 3

Equation: 3 runs | 3 balls. Kathryn Bryce is having a chat with Slater.

Sri Lanka need 7 runs off the final over. Chants of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka. Nervous faces in both camps. Here's Slater from round the wicket