Vaishnavi Sharma Shines in T20I Debut as India Defeats Sri Lanka
Vaishnavi Sharma's Stellar T20I Debut
In Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Vaishnavi Sharma made a remarkable entry into international cricket during her debut T20I match against Sri Lanka on Sunday. India secured an eight-wicket victory, limiting Sri Lanka to a total of 121 runs for six wickets in their 20 overs.
Sharma showcased her bowling skills by delivering a disciplined performance, allowing only 16 runs in her four overs, effectively stifling the Sri Lankan batters and maintaining pressure throughout their innings.
Reflecting on her interaction with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Vaishnavi shared, "She praised my past performances, saying, 'You have done a great job. You have given incredible performances.' Her encouragement meant a lot to me."
Vaishnavi also emphasized the clarity that Harmanpreet brings to the team dynamics, stating, "During team huddles, she emphasizes focusing on what we can excel at each day."
On the emotional aspect of her debut, Vaishnavi admitted to feeling nervous before the National Anthem, but those feelings subsided once the match commenced.
In the match, while chasing a target of 122 runs, Jemimah Rodrigues played a stellar innings, scoring an unbeaten 69 runs off 44 balls, which included 10 boundaries, leading India to victory in just 14.4 overs. This performance allowed Jemimah to match Mithali Raj's record of four T20I scores over 50 against Sri Lanka.
Earlier, Smriti Mandhana contributed 25 runs, becoming the second woman to achieve 4000 runs in T20Is, following New Zealand's Suzie Bates. Mandhana reached this milestone in just 3227 balls, faster than Bates, who took 3675 balls.
During the chase, Mandhana and Jemimah formed a vital 54-run partnership for the second wicket, putting India in a strong position. Jemimah also partnered with captain Harmanpreet Kaur for an unbroken 55-run stand, with Harmanpreet scoring 15 runs, ensuring a comfortable win for the Women in Blue.
Choosing to bowl first, the Indian women's team executed a disciplined bowling strategy, restricting Sri Lanka to 121 runs in their innings.
Three Sri Lankan players were run out during the match. Kranti Gaud, Deepti Sharma, and Shree Charani each took a wicket, maintaining tight control over the visitors.
Vishmi Gunaratne was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, managing 39 runs off 43 balls but struggled to accelerate the scoring rate before being dismissed in the 18th over.
Sri Lanka faced an early challenge when captain Chamari Athapaththu was dismissed for 15 runs, bowled by Kranti Gaud with the score at 18. The team managed only 31 runs in the power play, averaging under six runs per over.
Hasini Perera was the second wicket to fall, scoring 20 runs off 23 balls before being dismissed by Deepti Sharma. Although Sri Lanka reached 50 runs in 9.3 overs, they struggled to increase their scoring pace.
Harshitha Samarawickrama found it difficult to score, finishing with 21 runs off 23 balls. The visitors only crossed the 100-run mark in the 17.4 over. Both Nilakshika Silva and Kavisha Dilhari were run out.
Among the bowlers, Deepti Sharma was particularly economical, finishing with figures of 1/20 in her four overs, including a maiden. Kranti Gaud took 1/23 from three overs, while Shree Charani conceded 30 runs and claimed one wicket in her four overs.