India captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma for their blistering 162-run partnership, leading the team to a 30-run victory over a spirited Sri Lanka in the fourth women’s T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.
Outstanding Performances
Smriti, named Player of the Match, and Shafali delivered impressive innings of 80 and 79 runs, respectively. Richa Ghosh secured 40 not out, while Harmanpreet played a crucial role in finishing the innings, propelling India to a total of 221/2, their highest score ever in this format.
“We were getting short on time, and I wanted everyone to be on time. I didn’t want the last over with three fielders outside. I have been playing for ages, so I try to improve after each game. We should give credit to Smriti and Shafali for the start they gave. Also to Richa and me for finishing the innings. We thought we would give a chance for Harleen, but how the game went, we thought Richa would finish the game and didn’t give her a chance to bat,” said Harmanpreet in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Smriti’s Milestone
During her innings, Smriti crossed the milestone of 10,000 international runs, noting the challenge of switching back to T20 cricket after numerous ODIs. “After playing a lot of ODI cricket, it was hard to get into T20 mode. Playing six months of ODI and coming back to T20 was a bit hard mentally. The plans were similar; I had some game plans against them. I came early and tried to work on that,” she added.
She also praised Shafali’s knock and the team camaraderie. “To watch Shafali bat from the other end is always a treat for the eyes. We complement each other well. Happy with the way she has matured with her batting. In the last year, there’s been a different team building that has happened. We are happy with each other’s success, and when she took the catch, we were all happy.”
Sri Lanka’s Response
Sri Lanka mounted a spirited chase but fell short, scoring 191/6 in 20 overs—their highest total in women’s T20Is. Captain Chamari Athapaththu acknowledged the improvement in her team’s batting but lamented the inexperience in the bowling lineup.
“At least we improved in our batting areas. We still need to better our power-hitting. They (India) batted really well according to their plans. Our bowlers didn’t bowl well, but it is a young bowling attack and a lot of inexperience. They learn a lot from these tournaments because they’re playing with the best team in the world at the moment. I hope they’ll perform their best in the next game,” she said.
Chamari also praised left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who took 2 wickets for 24 runs. “She has been bowling really well; she’s improved a lot because she played Under-19. I saw how she played. She doesn’t play WPL, but she bowled really well according to the plan. The most important thing is how she planned her spells. I saw how Harmanpreet managed her, which is really good for India.”