Nisshin, September 2026 : Pakistan women clinched the bronze medal in the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games after defeating Bangladesh by 31 runs in the third-place playoff at Korogi Sports Park here on Tuesday.
The victory was particularly significant for Pakistan as it avenged its bronze-medal playoff defeat to Bangladesh at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. This time, the Women in Green produced a strong all-round performance to defend a modest total of 145 and restrict Bangladesh to 114 for nine in their 20 overs.
The bronze medal is Pakistan women’s third medal in Asian Games cricket. The team had previously won gold medals at the 2010 Guangzhou and 2014 Incheon editions.
Pakistan entered the contest after losing their semifinal to Sri Lanka, while Bangladesh had suffered defeat against India in the other semifinal. The two teams subsequently met in the bronze-medal match, with Pakistan emerging victorious.
Captain Fatima Sana once again played a decisive role for Pakistan. After her side lost wickets in quick succession during the middle overs, Sana produced an aggressive innings of 45 from just 30 balls to help Pakistan post a competitive total.
Pakistan made a promising start through wicketkeeper-opener Gull Feroza and Shawaal Zulfiqar, who put together 46 runs for the opening wicket. Feroza contributed 31 from 23 deliveries, while Zulfiqar scored 17 off 27 balls.
Bangladesh, however, staged a strong comeback and dramatically changed the complexion of the innings. Pakistan slipped from 46 without loss to 67 for five, with Shorna Akter, Nahida Akter, Ritu Moni and Meghla Akter among the wicket-takers.
With Pakistan under pressure, Sana stepped in to rebuild the innings. She combined with Aliya Riaz for a crucial 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Riaz contributed 25 off 22 balls, while Sana accelerated the scoring to ensure Pakistan reached 145 for eight.
Bangladesh required 146 to win but immediately found themselves in trouble against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack. Off-spinner Umm-e-Hani made a major impact, taking three wickets for just 10 runs. She dismissed Juairiya Ferdous and Sobhana Mostary among her early breakthroughs, putting Bangladesh on the back foot.
Bangladesh lost three wickets for only 20 runs in 4.1 overs before captain Nigar Sultana and Sharmin Akhter attempted to revive the chase. The pair added 47 runs for the fourth wicket, giving Bangladesh a brief opportunity to get back into the contest.
However, the required run rate continued to rise, and Pakistan maintained pressure with regular wickets. Nigar was eventually dismissed for 25 from 30 balls in the 14th over, leaving Bangladesh’s hopes of a successful chase severely weakened.
Sharmin remained unbeaten on 46 from 45 balls but struggled to find sufficient support at the other end. Shorna Akter scored six, Ritu Moni three, Rabeya Khan four and Nahida Akter 10 as Bangladesh’s lower order failed to provide the acceleration required.
Bangladesh eventually finished on 114 for nine in 20 overs, falling 31 runs short of the target. Pakistan’s bowlers maintained their composure throughout the innings and ensured that the team could successfully defend its total.
The result gave Pakistan the bronze medal and marked a turnaround from the 2023 Hangzhou Games, where Bangladesh had defeated them in the third-place playoff to claim bronze.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 145/8 (Fatima Sana 45 off 30, Gull Feroza 31 off 23; Nahida Akter 2/21, Shorna Akter 2/6) beat Bangladesh 114/9 (Sharmin Akhter 46 not out off 45, Nigar Sultana 25 off 30; Umm-e-Hani 3/10, Ayesha Zafar 1/10) by 31 runs.
