Shafali’s blitz after Renuka, Deepti brilliance seals series for India

A ruthless display with the ball, followed by an explosive batting exhibition from Shafali Verma, powered India to a thumping eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third women’s T20I on Friday, sealing the five-match series with two games to spare.

Taking an unassailable 3-0 lead, India once again underlined the gulf between the two sides, scripting a familiar story of disciplined bowling and a swift, clinical chase. Renuka Singh Thakur and Deepti Sharma set the tone with incisive spells that restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 112 for seven before Shafali’s blistering unbeaten 79 ensured the target was overhauled with remarkable ease.

Returning to the T20I side after nearly a year, Renuka made an immediate impact. The right-arm seamer marked her comeback with a fiery spell of 4 for 21, using movement and accuracy to dismantle the Sri Lankan top order. Deepti, as dependable as ever, complemented her brilliantly, finishing with 3 for 18 and etching her name into the record books as the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is with 151 scalps, alongside Australia’s Megan Schutt.

Sri Lanka, desperate to stay alive in the series, showed early intent through Hasini Perera. The opener struck two boundaries in the first over and played a few innovative strokes, including a deft scoop, to keep the scoreboard ticking. However, captain Chamari Athapaththu struggled for fluency, and the pressure soon told.

Deepti provided the crucial breakthrough when Athapaththu charged down the pitch but could only top-edge a catch to Harmanpreet Kaur. Renuka then struck twice in quick succession in her second over, first removing the in-form Perera and then producing a sharp caught-and-bowled to dismiss Harshitha Samarawickrama. From a promising start, Sri Lanka slipped to 32 for three and never truly recovered.

Renuka continued to apply the squeeze, trapping Nilakshika Silva leg-before in the 10th over. A brief resistance came through a 40-run stand between Kavisha Dilhari and Imesha Dulani, but just as Sri Lanka looked to rebuild, Deepti struck again to dismiss Dilhari, bringing up her 150th T20I wicket in the process. Regular breakthroughs thereafter ensured the visitors were restricted to a below-par total.

Chasing 113, India wasted no time asserting dominance. Shafali Verma, in devastating form, took charge of the innings from the outset. After a cautious start of three dot balls, the opener exploded with a towering six down the ground, setting the tone for what followed.

She tore into the Sri Lankan bowling attack with impeccable timing and brute power, smashing 11 boundaries and three sixes en route to her second successive half-century. Although spinner Kavisha Dilhari briefly checked India’s momentum by removing Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, the result was never in doubt.

Shafali finished the chase in emphatic fashion, steering India home with 40 balls to spare. Her unbeaten 79 off 42 deliveries capped a dominant all-round performance, as India sealed the series in style and reaffirmed their depth, balance and authority in the shortest format.

Brief Scoreboard

Sri Lanka Women:

112/7 in 20 overs

Hasini Perera 25; Kavisha Dilhari 20

Renuka Singh Thakur 4/21, Deepti Sharma 3/18

India Women:

113/2 in 13.2 overs

Shafali Verma 79*; Harmanpreet Kaur 21

Kavisha Dilhari 2/18

Result:

India Women won by 8 wickets

Series:

India lead 3-0 in the five-match series