Most wickets for Pakistan in Women’s international cricket ft. Nashra Sandhu

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Pakistan left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu added another memorable chapter to her international career after becoming only the third Pakistani woman to claim more than 200 wickets in international cricket. The experienced bowler reached the landmark during the opening T20I against Sri Lanka at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Although her disciplined spell stood out in an otherwise difficult outing for Pakistan, Sri Lanka completed a comfortable six-wicket victory thanks to a sensational unbeaten century from opener Imesha Dulani.

Sandhu entered the first T20I sitting exactly on 200 international wickets and wasted little time in moving beyond the milestone. The 28-year-old dismissed Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu before removing middle-order batter Harshitha Samarawickrama to take her tally to 202 international wickets.

The landmark is another significant achievement for the slow left-arm orthodox spinner, who has been one of Pakistan’s most dependable bowlers since making her international debut in 2017. Across both One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals, Sandhu has consistently delivered breakthroughs with her accuracy, control, and ability to apply pressure during crucial phases of an innings.

Reaching the 200-wicket mark places her among an elite group of Pakistani women’s cricketers and underlines the impact she has made over nearly a decade in international cricket. Having featured in 172 white-ball internationals, Sandhu has established herself as one of the leading spin bowlers produced by Pakistan in the modern era.

Sandhu’s latest milestone sees her join two of Pakistan women’s cricket’s greatest names—former captain Nida Dar and icon Sana Mir—as the only bowlers from the country to claim more than 200 wickets in international cricket. Dar continues to lead the all-time list with 252 wickets from 282 international appearances. Widely regarded as one of Pakistan’s finest all-round cricketers, Dar has played a pivotal role in the team’s success across formats through her off-spin and valuable lower-order contributions with the bat.

Mir, one of the pioneers of women’s cricket in Pakistan, occupies second place with 240 wickets in 226 international matches. The former captain enjoyed an illustrious career, inspiring a generation of cricketers while helping Pakistan become a more competitive force on the international stage. Her induction into the ICC Hall of Fame further highlighted her remarkable contribution to the game.

Sandhu now sits third on the prestigious list with 202 wickets in 172 matches, and given her age and continued importance to Pakistan’s bowling attack, she has an excellent opportunity to climb even closer to the two legends ahead of her.

Also READ: Imesha Dulani’s splendid century propels Sri Lanka to thrilling win over Pakistan in 1st Women’s T20I

Despite Sandhu producing Pakistan’s best bowling figures of 2/25 in four economical overs, her efforts were not enough to prevent Sri Lanka from taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.

Pakistan had posted a competitive total of 176, giving their bowlers a platform to defend. However, Sri Lanka’s chase was dominated by opener Dulani, who delivered a breathtaking unbeaten 101 off just 64 balls. Her innings featured 17 boundaries and one six, allowing the hosts to overhaul the target with an over to spare.

While Sandhu’s disciplined spell briefly raised hopes of a Pakistan comeback, Sri Lanka’s batting unit maintained control throughout the chase. The defeat meant that Sandhu’s personal milestone came on a disappointing day for the visitors, who will now look to bounce back in the remaining matches of the series and keep their hopes of a series victory alive.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.