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"We've lost three like this": Nigar Sultana admits heartbreak after historic collapse vs SL

Soumyajit Dutta

Nigar Sultana sad for the heart-breaking loss [Source: @aminul_islam/X.com]Nigar Sultana sad for the heart-breaking loss [Source: @aminul_islam/X.com]

In a Diwali night spectacle at the DY Patil Stadium, a festival of lights turned into a nightmare for Bangladesh, as they suffered a historic choke to lose to Sri Lanka by a mere seven runs. The defeat, one of the most dramatic in recent memory, eliminated Bangladesh from semi-final contention in the Women's World Cup 2025, leaving their captain Nigar Sultana Joty utterly distraught.

For approximately 48 overs of the 50-over chase, Bangladesh were in firm control, needing just 203 for victory. Captain Nigar Sultana, with a steady 77 from 98 balls, seemed to be guiding her team safely to shore. 

However, in a stunning, final-over capitulation, the game was ripped from their grasp. With nine balls remaining, Bangladesh lost four wickets in the first four deliveries, including a run-out, as Sri Lanka snatched a victory from the jaws of certain defeat.

Sultana's heartbreak after the loss

In the post-match aftermath, a visibly emotional Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana pointed to a recurring nightmare for her side, revealing that this was not an isolated incident.

"We've lost three games like this, it's heartbreaking. From the start it was our game. We batted really well, but the retired hurt made us lose momentum. And then we lost wickets at crucial stages," Sultana said.

Her words underscored the sheer agony of a team that had done the hard work, building partnerships of 82 and 50, only to see their campaign crumble at the very finish line.

Athapaththu's relief as Sri Lanka live to fight another day

On the other side, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu could breathe a sigh of relief. Her team, which had itself collapsed from a strong position of 72/1 to 100/4 during their own innings, knew the feeling of letting a game slip. This time, however, they were the beneficiaries of a monumental opposition collapse.

"We handled the pressure well. We knew that if we took the game deep, teams could crumble. It wasn't perfect, batting collapses and dropped catches hurt us, but luck smiled at us today," Chamari said.

Athapaththu, who also contributed a crucial 46 with the bat, was the architect of the final-over chaos, personally taking three of the four wickets to fall in a game-stealing performance, finishing with figures of 4 for 42.

The result leaves Bangladesh to ponder what might have been, their World Cup dream extinguished in the most brutal fashion imaginable. For Sri Lanka, the dramatic win keeps their semi-final hopes alive.