Photo via Wisden

Dilshan's daughter dumps Pakistan out of U19 tri-series with all-round outing

Sri Lanka’s U19 women’s team secured a dramatic victory over Pakistan in the ongoing Tri-Nation T20 Series, thanks to a standout all-round performance from Limansa Thilakarathna. The 18-year-old, daughter of Sri Lankan cricket legend Tillakaratne Dilshan, was introduced late in the match but quickly turned the game on its head.

With a sharp bowling spell of 3 for 14 in two overs, she dismantled Pakistan’s top order, restricting them to a modest total of 105. Her quickfire wickets—including those of Aqsa Habib, Alzoha Hammad, and Afsheen Imran—proved decisive, while her unbeaten 16 off 22 balls in the chase anchored Sri Lanka’s successful run-chase, completed with 6.3 overs to spare.

The win propelled Sri Lanka to the top of the standings, while Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament was sealed after just two points from six matches. Thilakarathna’s impact extended beyond this game, with prior contributions including a 2 for 24 spell against Pakistan earlier in the series and a clutch final-ball run against Bangladesh to secure a victory.

Her form mirrors her strong showing at the 2025 U19 T20 World Cup, where she was Sri Lanka’s second-highest wicket-taker (7 in four innings) and maintained an economy rate of 3.07. The final between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is set for October 16 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, following their last group match on October 14.

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