India Women Secure Series Victory with Dominant Win Over Sri Lanka in T20I

India Women Triumph in Fourth T20I Against Sri Lanka

In Thiruvananthapuram, India Women successfully defended a formidable target of 222 runs, achieving a 30-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth T20I of their five-match series. This win solidifies India's unassailable lead at 4-0, with one match remaining.

India showcased a commanding all-round performance, first amassing an impressive total of 221/2 in their 20 overs, before limiting Sri Lanka to 191/6, despite a spirited effort from the visitors.

Sri Lanka began their chase with determination, led by captain Chamari Athapaththu, who scored a fighting half-century of 52 runs off 37 balls, featuring three sixes and three fours. Her opening partner, Hasini Perera, contributed an aggressive 33 runs from just 20 balls, hitting seven boundaries.

The Sri Lankan openers set a solid foundation, adding 59 runs before India claimed their first wicket in the 6th over, with Arundhati Reddy dismissing Perera. Athapaththu then formed a vital 57-run partnership with Imesha Dulani, keeping Sri Lanka in contention as they reached 116/2.

The match took a turn in the 13th over when young spinner Vaishnavi Sharma took the crucial wicket of Athapaththu, disrupting Sri Lanka's momentum. Dulani was later run out for 29, and Harshitha Samarawickrama, who scored 20, also fell to Sharma, marking her second wicket of the match. Sri Lanka managed to reach 150 runs in 16.5 overs but struggled to keep up with the required run rate.

Reddy secured her second wicket by dismissing Kavisha Dilhari for 13 runs, while Rashmika Sewwandi added just 5 runs before being dismissed. Nilakshika Silva provided some late fireworks with an unbeaten 23 runs off 11 balls, but it wasn't enough to close the gap.

Vaishnavi Sharma was the standout bowler for India, finishing with impressive figures of 2/24 in her four overs during this high-scoring match. Arundhati Reddy also took two wickets, conceding 42 runs, while Shree Charani ended with figures of 1/46.

Earlier in the match, India Women delivered an outstanding batting display, with openers Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh contributing significantly to the team's highest total in T20I history.

After being invited to bat first, Smriti Mandhana set the tone by hitting a boundary on the very first ball. By the end of the first two overs, India had raced to 16/0. In the third over, both Verma and Mandhana struck boundaries against off-spinner Kavisha Dilhari, pushing the score to 26/0.

In the following over, Kawya Kavindi conceded 14 runs, with Mandhana hitting two fours and Verma adding another. At the conclusion of the power play, India had scored 61 runs without losing a wicket, with Mandhana and Verma achieving their 24th partnership of over 50 runs in T20I cricket, the most for any wicket.

In the seventh over, Mandhana reached a significant milestone, completing 10,000 runs in women's international cricket, becoming the fourth woman to achieve this feat and the second Indian after Mithali Raj.

After the first 10 overs, India stood at 85/0, with both openers providing a fantastic start. Shafali Verma reached her half-century in just 30 balls during the 11th over, marking her third consecutive fifty in the series. India crossed the 100-run mark in the same over.

Mandhana also reached her fifty in 35 balls during the 12th over, boasting 32 fifty-plus scores in WT20Is, the highest by any batter.

Sri Lanka finally broke the opening partnership when Nimasha Madushani dismissed Shafali for 79 runs off 46 balls, which included 12 fours and one six, in the second ball of the 16th over. Mandhana followed shortly after, dismissed by Malsha Shehani for 80 runs off 48 balls, featuring 11 fours and three sixes.

Towards the end of the innings, Richa Ghosh smashed an unbeaten 40 runs off 16 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur added 16 runs off 10 balls, helping India set a target of 222 runs with a total of 221/2 in 20 overs.

Brief scores: India Women 221/2 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 80, Shafali Verma 79; Malsha Shehani 1/32) vs Sri Lanka Women 191/6 in 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 52, Hasini Perera 33; Vaishnavi Sharma 2/24).