India Women crushed Sri Lanka Women by eight wickets in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. After being invited to bat first, Sri Lanka Women managed to score 112 for 7 in 20 overs. Hasini Perera provided an early start, but the Sri Lankan batters struggled against the dangerous bowling of Renuka Singh (4/21 in 4 overs) and Deepti Sharma (3/18 in 4 overs). Imesha Dulani remained the highest scorer for Sri Lanka.

In reply, India Women chased down the target with ease, losing only a few wickets. Shafali Verma once again led the charge with the bat, smashing a 42-ball 79. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten on 21 off 18 balls. With this victory, India secured an unassailable lead in the five-match series.

Renuka leads the bowling attack

Renuka Singh made a strong return to the playing XI and immediately made an impact. Along with Deepti Sharma, she kept Sri Lanka under constant pressure. Sri Lanka managed only 112 for 7 in 20 overs, a total that never looked enough.

Sri Lanka changed their opening pair by dropping Vishmi Gunaratne and promoting Hasini Perera to open with Chamari Athapaththu. Perera showed intent early. She hit two boundaries off Renuka in the first over.

However, the momentum did not last long. Deepti was introduced in the third over and kept things tight. While Perera played positively, Athapaththu struggled to score. She managed only 3 runs from 12 balls. The pressure forced her into a mistake in the fifth over, and she fell to Deepti.

Renuka then turned the match firmly in India’s favour. After Perera found a boundary early in the over, Renuka made a smart fielding change. The move worked immediately as Perera edged the ball straight to the fielder. She departed for 25 off 18 balls. On the final delivery of the over, Renuka dismissed Harshitha Samarawickrama with a return catch, sealing a dominant powerplay for India.

Dulani and Dilhari show brief resistance

Sri Lanka slipped to 45 for 4 at the halfway stage. At that point, Imesha Dulani, who came into the side for this match, and Kavisha Dilhari tried to rebuild the innings. Dulani survived an early chance and found some boundaries. Dilhari showed intent by hitting Kranti Gaud for a six.

However, Deepti ended the partnership before it could grow further. She dismissed Dilhari for 20, limiting the stand to under 40 runs. This wicket also made Deepti the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is.

India were not perfect in the field. They dropped a few catches later in the innings. Still, Sri Lanka failed to capitalise on those chances. The visitors finished on 112 for 7, which always looked below par.

Shafali takes charge from the start

Shafali Verma wasted no time in the chase. She attacked Malsha Shehani in the very first over, hitting a six followed by two boundaries. Smriti Mandhana struggled to get going at the other end, but Shafali ensured the pressure stayed on Sri Lanka.

She continued her aggressive approach against debutant Nimasha Meepage, collecting more boundaries. Mandhana fell for just 1 in the fourth over, but it did not slow India down.

In the fifth over, Shafali completely dominated Meepage. She scored 19 runs in that over alone, using a mix of power and placement. By then, she had raced past 40 in no time. She brought up her half-century from just 24 balls, as India reached 55 for 1.

Records fall as India cruise home

Although Kavisha Dilhari later dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues, the outcome was never in doubt. Shafali stayed in control throughout the chase. She scored nearly 69 percent of India’s runs in a completed innings, setting a new national record.

Her innings also took her to fourth place on the list of India’s highest run-scorers in women’s T20Is. India finished the chase with 40 balls to spare, underlining their dominance.

The win also marked a major milestone for captain Harmanpreet Kaur. It was her 77th victory as India captain, taking her past Meg Lanning to become the most successful captain in women’s T20I history.