India women cracked whip at Sri Lanka women and notched up a resounding eight-wicket win in the first T20I, played in Visakhapatnam on December 21 to go 1-0 up in the five-match series. Batting first Sri Lankan batting looked scratchy and could only post 121/6. In reply, India cantered to the lowly target with 32 balls to spare, thanks to Jemimah Rodrigues' 44-ball 69 which was punctuated with 10 fours.
India bulldoze Sri Lanka by 8 wickets
Meanwhile, opener Smriti Mandhana provided a solid foundation with a composed 25, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten on 15 to guide the team home in just 14.4 overs. Meanwhile, the second T20I between India and Sri Lanka will be played on December 23 at the same venue.
India's disciplined bowling keep Islanders in check
Bowling first, the Indian women’s bowling unit delivered a highly disciplined performance, restricting Sri Lanka to a modest 121/6. After winning the toss and electing to field, India’s bowlers maintained a stranglehold on the scoring rate, effectively neutralizing the visitors' attack. While India’s fielding was occasionally untidy—marred by several dropped catches—the pressure they exerted was evident, leading to three crucial run-outs that further hampered the Sri Lankan innings.
The visitors faced an early blow when their captain and star batter, Chamari Athapaththu, was dismissed for 15, cleaned up by Kranti Gaud with the score at 18. This set a cautious tone for the powerplay, as Sri Lanka reached just 31/1 at the six-over mark. Opener Vishmi Gunaratne anchored the innings, top-scoring with 39 off 43 balls, but her inability to shift gears meant the run rate remained stagnant. She was eventually sent back in the 18th over, leaving the middle order with too much to do in the final stages.
The struggle for momentum continued throughout the middle overs, as Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama both labored to find the boundary, scoring 20 and 21 respectively. Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with elite figures of 1/20 from her four overs, including a maiden. Supporting her were Kranti Gaud (1/23) and Shree Charani (1/30), whose collective efforts kept Sri Lanka under six runs per over for the majority of the match, as the visitors only managed to cross the 100-run mark late in the 18th over.
Deepti Sharma spearheaded a clinical Indian bowling effort by emerging as the most economical bowler. She delivered a masterful spell, finishing with figures of 1/20 across her four overs, a performance that notably included a maiden over to keep the Sri Lankan batters under immense pressure. The rest of the bowling attack provided effective support, with Kranti Gaud concluding her three-over stint with 1/23. Meanwhile, Shree Charani, despite being slightly more expensive, contributed a key breakthrough to finish with 1/30 from her four overs. Their collective performance ensured Sri Lanka remained on a tight leash, setting a manageable target for the Indian chase.