Saturday Feb 21, 2026
Saturday Feb 21, 2026
Wednesday, 31 December 2025 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka batted better again but could not prevent India from beating them by 15 runs and completing a 5-0 whitewash of the five-match Women’s T20I series in the fifth and final match played at Thiruvananthapuram yesterday.
Sri Lanka women have played only four five-match T20I series and this is the first instance they lost by a 5-0 margin.
Sri Lanka’s attempt to chase down a target of 176 was just not enough after they lost skipper Chamari Athapaththu early. Although the impressive Imesha Dulani and Hasini Perera added 79 for the second wicket and kept their side in the hunt, India seized control of the match once the stand was broken. Imesha got her maiden fifty off 39 balls (8 fours) but fell to Amanjot Kaur’s first ball. Hasini carried on and till she was there, there was hope for Sri Lanka. But she didn’t get the support from the others. Once she fell for 65 off 42 balls (8 fours, 1 six), victory was a foregone conclusion. All the six bowlers employed by India were among the wickets but it was Deepti Sharma who was the pick. The first three games were totally one-sided and even though Sri Lanka fought hard in the last two, India managed to complete the whitewash.
The 20 runs Sri Lanka conceded in the final over proved the turning point. Arundathi Reddy’s 11-ball 27* (4 fours, 1 six) took India to an above par score. India were asked to bat first and then kept losing wickets in regular fashion to be 77-5 at one stage. It was a rare failure for Shafali Varma, 17-year old debutant Gunalan Kamalini who didn’t last long, and neither did Harleen Deol and Richa Ghosh. But Harmanpreet Kaur held the innings firm. The Indian skipper’s 43-ball 68 (9 fours, 1 six) was the knock around which India built their innings. She was well supported by Amanjot Kaur (21), the pair adding 61 off 38 balls for the sixth wicket. That set-up the platform for Arundathi’s blazing cameo which gave India a total to defend.
Harmanpreet was Player of the Match and Shafali Player of the Series.
Scores: India Women 175-7 (20) (Harmanpreet Kaur 68, Amanjot Kaur 21, Arundhati Reddy 27*, Kavisha Dilhari 2/11, Rashmika Sewwandi 2/42, Chamari Athapaththu 2/21)
Sri Lanka Women 160-7 (20) (Hasini Perera 65, Imesha Dulani 50)
