Harmanpreet Kaur's Stellar Performance Leads India to Competitive Total Against Sri Lanka
India Sets Target of 176 in Final T20I
In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on December 30, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur showcased her batting prowess with a remarkable fifty, while Arundhati Reddy's explosive performance in the final over propelled India to a total of 175/7 in the fifth and concluding T20I against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium.
Reddy, alongside Sneh Rana, contributed significantly with a crucial partnership of 33 runs off just 14 balls for the eighth wicket, with Reddy hitting 20 runs off Malki Madara in the last over.
After winning the toss, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu opted to field first. India faced an early setback, losing Shafali Verma for just five runs, while debutant G. Kamalini managed to score 12 runs. Harleen Deol started well but was dismissed for 13 runs off 11 balls in the seventh over.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh also struggled, scoring only five runs before being dismissed by Athapaththu in the ninth over. Despite Kaur's efforts to stabilize the innings, India found themselves four wickets down within the first ten overs.
All-rounder Deepti Sharma followed Ghosh back to the pavilion, undone by Athapaththu's slow off-spin. Sharma attempted a slog towards mid-wicket but ended up top-edging the ball into the hands of Nimasha Madushani.
Kaur, along with Amanjot Kaur, worked to rebuild the innings. Amanjot rotated the strike effectively while Kaur consistently found the boundary. In the 15th over, Kaur took on Athapaththu, hitting two consecutive fours to reach her fifty.
Rashmika Sewwandi ended the 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket by dismissing Amanjot for 21 runs off 18 balls. Kaur, who played a stellar innings of 68 runs, was eventually bowled by Kavisha Dilhari in the 18th over, leaving India in a precarious position.
India concluded their innings at 175/7, setting a target of 176 runs for Sri Lanka to avoid a clean sweep in the five-match T20I series.