Indian bowlers delivered an impressive performance, limiting Sri Lanka to a modest 121/6 in 20 overs during the first match of the five-match women’s T20I bilateral series at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
After winning the toss, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to field in what was their first match since clinching the Women’s ODI World Cup. The Indian bowlers effectively stifled Sri Lankan batters despite some poor fielding, which included dropped catches, misfields, and Smriti Mandhana’s mishap with a six. The 50-over World Champions seemed to struggle to adapt to the short format after a long hiatus.
The Sri Lankan side faced their own difficulties, losing skipper Chamari Athapaththu for 15 runs off 12 balls. They managed only 31/1 during the Power-play. Athapaththu hit three fours in the early overs before Kranti Gaud claimed her first Women’s T20I wicket, sneaking a delivery through the gap to rattle the stumps.
Debutant spinner Vaishavi Sharma didn’t take a wicket but bowled economically, conceding just 16 runs in four overs. Deepti Sharma was even more impressive, giving away only 10 runs in three overs. However, N. Shree Charani had a costlier outing, taking 1-30 in her four overs while also dropping two crucial catches.
The spinners excelled in the middle overs, using their experience to maintain pressure. For India, Kranti Gaud (1-23), Deepti Sharma (1-20), and N. Shree Charani (1-30) each took a wicket.
Vishmi Gunaratne fought valiantly for Sri Lanka, scoring a slow 39 runs off 43 balls, which included a four and a six before being run out due to good fielding from Gaud. Gunaratne partnered well with Harshitha Samarawickrama, putting together a 38-run partnership, but once Samarawickrama fell, Sri Lanka’s innings faltered.
Hasini Perera scored 20 runs off 23 balls, and Harshitha Samarawickrama contributed 21 off 23, but neither could convert their starts into bigger scores. Nonetheless, the pair helped the Islanders reach three figures, albeit without any substantial big hits.
Both teams approached the match with different strategies. India retained a majority of players from their victorious 50-over World Cup squad, while Sri Lanka introduced several young players in a bid to establish their best combinations ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for 2026.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women: 121/6 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 39, Harshitha Samarawickrama 21; Kranti Gaud 1-23, Deepti Sharma 1-20, N. Shree Charani 1-30) against India Women.