Umm-e-Hani’s superb three-wicket spell and captain Fatima Sana’s counter-attacking 45 helped Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 31 runs and claim the bronze medal in the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan on Tuesday.

Umm-e-Hani conceded only 10 runs in her four overs, including a wicket-maiden, as Pakistan overcame Bangladesh’s early resistance to restrict them to 114 for seven after posting 145 for eight.

The medal is Pakistan’s third in the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games, following gold-medal triumphs in 2010 and 2014.

It also marked a measure of redemption for Pakistan, who had lost the bronze-medal match to Bangladesh at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Pakistan had been in danger of posting a modest total after collapsing from 46 without loss to 67 for five, but Fatima changed the course of the innings with an aggressive 30-ball 45.

The captain, who struck three fours and three sixes, added 67 from 43 balls with Aliya Riaz to take Pakistan towards a competitive total. Aliya contributed 25 from 22 balls, including two sixes and a four.

Fatima’s innings was particularly significant in the context of her prolific year. She entered the match as Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in women’s Twenty20 internationals in 2026 and took her tally to 540 with Tuesday’s knock. She also remains Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is this year.

Earlier, Pakistan made a steady start after Fatima won the toss and elected to bat, with Gull Feroza and Shawaal Zulfiqar putting on 46 in 6.4 overs.

Gull struck six fours in her 23-ball 31 before Nahida Akter ended the opening stand, while Shawaal made 17 from 27 balls.

Bangladesh then seized control, taking five wickets for 21 runs to leave Pakistan struggling at 67 for five. Fatima and Aliya, however, rebuilt the innings before accelerating after Pakistan reached 90 for five in 15 overs.

Fatima struck Rabeya Khan for six before both batters cleared the ropes against Sanjida Akter in the 17th over. Pakistan added 55 runs in the final five overs, although Bangladesh hit back by taking two wickets and conceding only seven in the final over.

Nahida, Shorna Akter and Ritu Moni claimed two wickets apiece for Bangladesh.

Pakistan’s defence began emphatically as Umm-e-Hani and Tasmia Rubab reduced Bangladesh to 20 for three inside five overs.

Umm-e-Hani struck in her first over, removing Juairiya Ferdous, before Tasmia dismissed Dilara Akter for 12. Umm-e-Hani then removed Sobhana Mostary early in the fifth over.

All three catches in the opening exchanges were taken by Saira Jabeen, including a spectacular effort at the cover boundary to dismiss Dilara.

Bangladesh’s hopes rested on captain Nigar Sultana and Sharmin Akhter, who added 47 for the fourth wicket. Nigar made 25 off 30 balls with three fours, while Sharmin remained unbeaten on 46 from 45 balls, hitting four fours.

But with Bangladesh requiring more than 10 runs an over at the halfway stage, the task became increasingly difficult. Ayesha Zafar trapped Nigar leg-before in the 14th over, before Umm-e-Hani and Fatima struck in successive overs to remove Shorna Akter and Ritu Moni.

Umm-e-Hani’s dismissal of Shorna for six gave her career-best T20I figures of three for 10, improving on her previous best of two for 28 against Sri Lanka in Dambulla earlier this year.

Nashra Sandhu removed Rabeya Khan for the seventh wicket with Bangladesh on 93, leaving the target beyond their reach.

Fatima also chipped in with the wicket of Ritu Moni, taking her tally to 31 wickets in T20Is in 2026.

Pakistan’s campaign had begun with a three-wicket victory over Thailand in the quarter-final before Sri Lanka beat them by eight wickets in the semi-final.

The bronze-medal victory ensured they returned home from the Asian Games with a podium finish.

India clinch gold

India routed Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final to take home gold.

The Women in Blue batted first and posted an imposing 216-3 on the board, on the back of standout knocks by openers Smriti Mandhana (79 off 45), and Shafali Verma (48 off 29).

A stellar 22-ball-49 from wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh rescued India from a slight middle-overs wobble as Sri Lanka pulled some control back. Chamudi Prabodha, Kavisha Dilhari and Sugandika Kumari took a wicket apiece.

Sri Lanka rolled over for 69 runs, with only three batters including captain Chamari Athapaththu reaching double figures.

Deepti Sharma took three wickets for her extremely miserly spell in which she conceded just six runs in her four overs, which included a maiden. Shafali accounted for the first two wickets, and bowled at an economy rate equal to Deepti’s, conceding just three runs across the two overs she bowled.

Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil took two wickets apiece, with the latter dismissing Kaushini Nuthyangana to seal the win, completing India’s successful defense of their 2023 gold won in Hangzhou.

Sri Lanka settled for silver to complete the podium.