India’s comprehensive performance, led by Smriti Mandhana (80) and Shafali Verma’s (79) record partnership, followed by spinner Vaishnavi Sharma’s impressive 2/24, secured a 30-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth women’s T20I. This win gave India a 4-0 lead in the five-match series on Sunday.
Mandhana and Shafali set the stage for India’s highest women’s T20I total of 221/2 with a record partnership of 162 for any wicket. Vaishnavi’s remarkable 4-0-24-2 spell further aided the home side in achieving a dominant win.
Chasing a daunting target of 222, Sri Lanka began aggressively with Hasini Perera (33 off 20 balls, 7 fours) and skipper Chamari Athapaththu (52 off 37 balls, 3 fours and 3 sixes) providing early sparks. However, the target proved
insurmountable, as Sri Lanka lost wickets rapidly towards the end, finishing at 191 for six in their 20 overs.
Perera’s early flourish with fours and Athapaththu’s impressive stroke play were highlights, but the escalating run-rate on a flat pitch posed a significant challenge for the Sri Lankan side.
In a high-scoring game where batters from both teams punished any error in line or length, young Vaishnavi bowled nine dot balls, exerting pressure and taking crucial wickets of Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama (20).
Arundhati Reddy (2/42) contributed with key strikes, dismissing Perera after a 59-run opening stand in the sixth over and later removing Kavisha Dilhari (13).
The fifth and final T20I will be played here on December 30.
Earlier, Mandhana and Shafali powered India to their highest Women’s T20I total of 221 for two. Having batted second in the previous three games of the series, Mandhana and Shafali delivered a batting masterclass, dominating the Sri Lankan bowlers after being asked to bat first at the Greenfield International Stadium.
Towards the end, Richa Ghosh smashed a quickfire 40 not out off 16 balls, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur added 16 not out off 9 balls, contributing to India’s massive total.
Indian openers Mandhana and Shafali shared a 162-run stand in 15.2 overs, marking the best partnership for any wicket for India in women’s T20Is. This was the fourth time Mandhana and Shafali had recorded a partnership of 100 or more, surpassing their own record of 143 against the West Indies at Gros Islet in 2019.
Mandhana made history by becoming the fourth batter after Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, and Charlotte Edwards to complete 10,000 international runs across formats.
Shafali, continuing her red-hot form, scored her third consecutive half-century in the series but missed out on a maiden ton, getting caught and bowled by Nimasha Meepage for 79 off 46 balls with 12 fours and a six.
Both Mandhana and Shafali showcased precise gap-piercing shots and spectacular hits on both sides of the wicket. Shafali’s standout hit over bowler Kawya Kavindi’s head in the fourth over was particularly notable, as she hammered it with full force. Mandhana also collected two fours off the same bowler earlier in the over.
Mandhana, rediscovering her form, played crisply, with three sixes on the on-side. Despite both openers falling in quick succession, Richa’s aggressive 40 not out, with four fours and three sixes, along with Harmanpreet’s 16 not out, helped India surpass the 200-run mark.
(With PTI Inputs)
