Shafali Verma's blazing 79 gives India series win

India Women sealed the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka Women with a dominating eight-wicket victory in the third T2OI at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday (December 26). After restricting Sri Lanka to 112/7 on the backs of strong bowling performances from Renuka Thakur (4 for 21) and Deepti Sharma (3 for 18), India cruised to victory, winning with 40 balls to spare courtesy an unbeaten 79 off just 42 balls from Shafali Verma.

As was the pattern in the two games at Vizag, the change of scene did little to curb India's momentum, who produced a faultless performance right from the get go. Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and inserted the opposition in and her bowlers had Sri Lanka down to 32 for 3 inside the PowerPlay. Interestingly, Renuka's first over of the match cost India 12 runs and she was quickly taken off the attack and replaced by Deepti Sharma, who accounted for a struggling Chamari Athapaththu by getting the stalwart for a 12-ball 3.

The Sri Lankan middle order showed brief resistance as Imesha Dulani top-scored with 27 off 32 balls and Kavisha Dilhari contributed a brisk 20 off 13 deliveries, including two fours and a six. However, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Renuka trapped Nilakshika Silva lbw for 4, and Deepti claimed her 150th T20I wicket when she had Dilhari caught at midwicket. Renuka finished with a wicket-maiden as Sri Lanka crawled to 112.

Chasing a modest target, India lost Smriti Mandhana early, trapped lbw by Kavisha Dilhari for 1 after missing a sweep. But before that happened, Verma had already raced off to 25 off 14, having begun the innings with a six and two fours off Malsha Shehani in the first over. She never looked back from there, demonstrating her full repertoire of strokes as she raced to her half-century off just 24 balls, smashing eight fours and two sixes.

Jemimah Rodrigues struggled for rhythm and managed only 9 off 15 balls before being bowled by Dilhari. But by then, the match was all but over. India had reached 50 runs in just 5.3 overs and Shafali batted through with Harmanpreet Kaur for company to close out the match, and the series win, with nearly seven overs to spare.

@B0$ Sri Lanka 112/7 in 20 overs (Kavisha Dilhari 20; Renuka Singh 4-21, Deepti Sharma 3-18) lost to India 115/2 in 13.2 overs (Shafali Verma 79*; Kavisha Dilhari 2-18) by eight wickets