Opener Shafali Verma delivered an impressive unbeaten 69 as India Women secured a commanding seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka Women, finishing with 49 balls remaining at the Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA VDCA Cricket Stadium. This win gives India a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. India’s bowlers, particularly Shree Charani, set a strong foundation, allowing Shafali to complete the chase in style.
Bowling Dominance
Choosing to bowl first, India made early inroads, preventing Sri Lanka from gaining any momentum. The Indian bowlers consistently took wickets, limiting the visitors to 128 for 9 in their 20 overs, an improvement from their 121 scored in the first T20I. Kranti Gaud continued her fine form by dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne for just 1 run in the first over, caught off the follow-through. Although Arundathi Reddy allowed some runs early on, the Indian bowlers maintained pressure, restricting Sri Lanka significantly.
In the Power-play, Sri Lanka managed to score 39 runs but struggled, with captain Chamari Athapaththu being the standout contributor. Athapaththu’s innings included two sixes, scoring 31 off 24 balls before falling to Sneh Rana. Rana was the only change in the squad for the second T20I due to Deepti Sharma’s absence because of fever. Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama brought stability to the innings, reaching 66 for 2 by the halfway mark.
Middle Order Struggles
Perera faced difficulties finding the boundary and was eventually dismissed for 22 off 28 balls, as Shree Charani ended their 44-run partnership in the 13th over. Harshitha, looking confident, scored 33 before being run out in the 17th over.
Sri Lanka faltered in the late overs, losing wickets in quick succession. Nilakshi de Silva managed just 2 runs before being dismissed by Vaishnavi Sharma, who claimed her first T20I wicket, leaving Sri Lanka at 128 for 9. Shree Charani (2/23) and Vaishnavi Sharma (2/32) led the bowling attack, with Kranti Gaud (1/21) and Sneh Rana (1/11) also chipping in with wickets.
India’s Chase
In response, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put India off to a strong start, scoring 29 runs before Mandhana was dismissed for 14 off 11 balls. Jemimah Rodrigues then took charge, hitting four fours and a six in her 26 off 15 balls before being caught at long off by Kawya Kavindi. India raced to 113 runs in the first 10 overs, marking their highest total in this phase for women’s T20Is, surpassing the previous record of 111 against Malaysia Women at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Shafali continued her explosive batting after the Power-play, reaching her 12th T20I fifty off just 27 balls. She ended her innings unbeaten on 69 off 34 balls, comprising 11 fours and a six. Harmanpreet Kaur scored 10 off 12 balls before being bowled by Malki Madara when the score was tied. Richa Ghosh then hit the winning run in the 12th over, completing the chase at 129 for 3 in 11.5 overs.
Match Summary
This victory marked India’s second-largest win over Sri Lanka in women’s T20Is in terms of balls remaining, only behind the 69-ball win in Sylhet in 2022. The series now moves to Thiruvananthapuram for the third T20I on Friday.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka Women: 128/9 in 20 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 33, Chamari Athapaththu 32; Shree Charani 2-23, Vaishnavi Sharma 2-32) lost to India Women: 129/3 in 11.5 overs (Shafali Verma 69 not out, Jemimah Rodrigues 26; Kavisha Dilhari 1-15) by seven wickets.