Indian Women continued their dominant run in the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka with a convincing seven-wicket win in the second match at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, December 23.
Following their eight-wicket victory in the series opener, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side once again asserted their superiority to take a 2–0 lead and tighten their grip on the contest.
After winning the toss, Harmanpreet opted to field first, a decision that was vindicated by a disciplined bowling effort that restricted Sri Lanka Women to 128 all out. While the surface offered some assistance to batters later in the evening, India’s bowlers, particularly the spinners, used the conditions intelligently to keep the Sri Lankan lineup under constant pressure.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when opener Vishmi Gunaratne was dismissed with the score on just two, pacer Kranti Goud providing India with the breakthrough. Captain Chamari Athapaththu and Hasini Perera attempted to rebuild, putting together a steady partnership through measured stroke play. Athapaththu top-scored with 31, while Perera contributed 22, and Harshitha Samarawickrama added 33 to give Sri Lanka some momentum through the middle overs.
However, India’s spinners ensured that the visitors were never allowed to break free. Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma returned figures of 2 for 32, while Shree Charani was particularly impressive, finishing with 2 for 23. The Indian bowlers mixed their lengths well, varying pace and flight, and consistently hit the right areas. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 128, a total that looked below par given the conditions under lights.
In reply, India lost Smriti Mandhana early, but any hopes of a comeback for Sri Lanka were quickly extinguished by a commanding display from Shafali Varma. The 21-year-old opener, in sparkling form, produced a blistering unbeaten 69 off just 34 balls to steer India home with ease. Her innings, laced with 11 fours and a six, earned her the Player of the Match award and underlined her growing stature as a match-winner in the shortest format.
From the outset, Shafali took the aggressive route, refusing to let the Sri Lankan bowlers settle. She was clear in her intent, frequently stepping down the track to the spinners and trusting the bounce to play her shots through the line. Aware that the pitch would ease as the chase progressed, she did not hesitate to take calculated risks, putting the fielding side under sustained pressure.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
Shafali found solid support from Jemimah Rodrigues, who played a mature role at the other end. The pair added 58 runs for the second wicket, with Jemimah rotating the strike effectively while allowing Shafali to dominate. After Rodrigues’ dismissal, Shafali stitched together another vital partnership, this time with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, adding 41 runs to put the result beyond doubt.
What stood out during Shafali’s innings was her timing and shot selection. She middled the ball cleanly, drove fluently through the covers, and punished anything short with authority. Her strong bottom hand was evident as she cut and pulled with confidence, even when Sri Lanka’s pacers attempted to unsettle her with short-pitched deliveries. Her ability to pick length early and commit fully to her shots made the contest one-sided.
Shafali’s current form is a significant positive for India as they build towards major global events. Having already played a decisive role in the ICC Women’s World Cup earlier this year, including a match-defining knock in the final against South Africa, she appears to be carrying that confidence into this series. With the Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for 2026 in England, India will be keen to see their opener maintain this consistency.
The series now moves to Thiruvananthapuram, where the remaining three matches will be played at the Greenfield International Stadium. As India look to seal the series early, Shafali Varma’s aggressive starts could once again prove to be the decisive factor in maintaining their dominance over Sri Lanka.
By Devang
