Vimukthi, Ayodhya hand Sri Lanka winning start to Asia Cup title defence
The two shared three wickets apiece to bowl out UAE for 79 before Athapaththu's unbeaten 48 gave SL a nine-wicket win
Sri Lanka's cricket team began their 2026 Asia Cup title defence with a strong performance against the UAE team in Dubai. Chethana Vimukthi and Mithali Ayodhya, the medium pacers, played pivotal roles in the victory, with Vimukthi making her T20I debut. The UAE team was bowled out for a mere 79 runs, a significant deficit compared to Sri Lanka's total of 80.
Chamari Athapaththu, the Sri Lankan opener, made an immediate impact in the chase, scoring an unbeaten 48 off just 25 balls. Her aggressive play helped set the tone for the team's successful chase, and she also went on to hit the first six of the match. The Sri Lankan team demonstrated their mastery over the conditions, which favoured seam bowlers, and effectively utilized their bowling attack to restrict UAE's scoring opportunities.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
