Sri Lanka may have lost the chance to test themselves against the world champions, but the rain gods gifted them their first World Cup points. Australia remain top, Sri Lanka rise to fifth, and fans were left waiting for action that never came.
Sri Lanka Women picked up their first points of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 without a ball bowled, as rain washed out their high-voltage clash against world champions Australia in Colombo.
Sri Lanka may count themselves fortunate after their second match of the tournament was abandoned due to persistent rain at the R. Premadasa Stadium. While Australia were clear favourites heading into the fixture, the washout allowed the hosts to escape unscathed with a valuable point, lifting them to fifth place on the table.
Conditions on Friday had seemed manageable, but on match day the weather turned quickly. Both sides walked out for the toss inspection, yet heavy rain soon took over. Despite the entire ground being covered, umpires had no choice but to call off the match two and a half hours after the scheduled start.
Australia, who began their campaign with a dominant 89-run win over New Zealand in Indore, remain top of the standings with three points. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, bounce back from their opening defeat to India in Guwahati, where they lost by 59 runs under the DLS method.
The washout means Sri Lanka’s next challenge will come after a long break, when they face England on October 11. For the Australians, their packed schedule continues as they take on Pakistan on October 8 in Colombo before heading to Visakhapatnam for a blockbuster against India on October 9.
The abandoned fixture also prolongs Sri Lanka’s winless streak against Australia. In international cricket, the islanders have yet to beat the Aussies across 11 ODIs and eight T20Is, underlining the gulf in experience and firepower.
Adding to the uncertainty, Colombo is also set to host the marquee India vs Pakistan clash on Sunday, but the weather forecast looks gloomy, raising fears of another washout.
