The in-form opener Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 79 off 42 balls to power India Women to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka Women in the third T20I of the five-match series, securing an unassailable 3-0 series lead at the Greenfield International Stadium.
Bowling Powerhouse Performance
After Renuka Singh Thakur’s impressive 4-21 and Deepti Sharma’s 3-18 restricted Sri Lanka to 112/7, Shafali tore apart the bowling attack with a splendid display of strokeplay, hitting 11 fours and three sixes. This explosive knock guided India home with 6.4 overs to spare.
Key Contributions
Despite losing her opening partner, Smriti Mandhana, and Jemimah Rodrigues to Kavisha Dilhari, Shafali dominated from the outset, ensuring India secured another convincing win. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed with a composed knock of 21 not out, marking India’s fourth consecutive T20I series win over Sri Lanka.
Aggressive Start
Shafali started cautiously, facing three dot balls in the first over, before unleashing a brutal assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers. Her innings began with a lofted six and a four off Malsha Shehani, followed by a couple of boundaries against Nimesha Madushani.
However, India suffered a setback when vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was trapped lbw by Kavisha Dilhari for just one run. Attempting a sweep, Smriti missed the delivery, which spun away and hit her front pad, with ball-tracking confirming it would have crashed into the leg stump.
Remarkable Fifty
Despite Jemimah struggling to find her rhythm after surviving an lbw appeal on her first ball, Shafali was magnificent, driving, pulling, and lofting the ball before reaching her fifty in just 24 balls with a drive past mid-on off Malki Madara.
Kavisha Dilhari claimed Jemimah’s wicket when she attempted a sweep off a full delivery outside off-stump, resulting in an under-edge that rattled the stumps. As Harmanpreet found her boundaries through leg-side shots, Shafali muscled three more boundaries before finishing the chase with a lofted four, securing another dominant victory for India.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 112/7 in 20 overs (Imesha Dulani 27, Hasini Perera 25; Renuka Singh Thakur 4-21, Deepti Sharma 3-18) lost to India 115/2 in 13.2 overs (Shafali Verma 79 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 21 not out; Kavisha Dilhari 2-18) by eight wickets.