Pakistan and Sri Lanka play Friday in Dubai for a Women's Asia Cup final against India

Pakistan and Sri Lanka meet at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday night for the second semi-final of the Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup, with India already waiting in Sunday's final.

The match starts at 18:30 Gulf time, 20:00 in India. Fatima Sana captains Pakistan. Chamari Athapaththu captains Sri Lanka. India reached a tenth Asia Cup final on Thursday by beating Bangladesh by 40 runs. Shafali Verma made 64 off 40. Deepti Sharma took 3 for 26. Bangladesh closed on 109 for 7 after India posted 149 for 6.

Pakistan have not played an Asia Cup final since 2016. Sri Lanka are trying to reach a third final in a row. The recent head-to-head does not give either dressing room a clean story. In August, on Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka, the hosts won the first two T20Is, chasing 177 and 176, and Pakistan took the third by four wickets at Dambulla, chasing 114. At the 2024 T20 World Cup Pakistan beat Sri Lanka. At the previous Asia Cup Sri Lanka chased 141.

The bowling names that matter on Friday are already on the tournament sheet. Nashra Sandhu has 15 wickets in ten innings at an economy of 5.29. She took 6 for 7 against Hong Kong to put Pakistan in this semi-final, the first six-wicket haul by a Pakistan bowler in women's T20Is. Fatima Sana has 14 wickets in seven innings. For Sri Lanka, Athapaththu has 15 wickets in ten innings and remains the side's most reliable bat. Kavisha Dilhari has 13 wickets.

Pakistan's listed group includes Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza with the gloves, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan in the spin group, and Sadaf Shamas higher up the order. Sri Lanka's squad published for the tournament includes Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshi de Silva, Vishmi Gunaratne, Sugandika Kumari and Dewmi Vihanga around Athapaththu and Dilhari.

India's path through the week is the fact both sides have to live with. Harmanpreet Kaur's team won their group matches and then beat Bangladesh without needing a late scramble. They have reached every Asia Cup final. A ninth straight T20I win over Bangladesh was a continuation, not a surprise. Sunday's final, also in Dubai at 20:00 IST, will be their eighth title chance or another runner-up night. The opponent will be whoever bowls and bats with more control under the Friday lights.

Pakistan's last-final date of 2016 is a long gap for a side that still produces wicket-takers. Sri Lanka's habit of reaching finals is the other pressure. One of those records ends on Friday. India do not play. They watch.