India Women produced another dominant bowling display to restrict Sri Lanka Women to 112/7 in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, on Friday.
After winning the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur opted to bowl first — a decision that paid rich dividends as India’s bowlers tightened the screws from the very start.
Making a strong return to the XI, Renuka Singh Thakur led the charge with a fiery spell, ripping through Sri Lanka’s top order to finish with impressive figures of 4/21. From the other end, Deepti Sharma, back after missing the previous match due to illness, kept the pressure relentless and claimed 3/18.
Sri Lanka struggled to gain momentum and found themselves 32/3 inside the powerplay. Captain Chamari Athapaththu and opener Hasini Perera offered brief resistance, but the middle order once again failed to build meaningful partnerships.
Only a handful of Sri Lankan batters managed to cross the 20-run mark — Hasini Perera (25 off 18), Imesha Dulani (27 off 32), and Kavisha Dilhari (20 off 13). Wicketkeeper-batter Kaushini Nuthyangana’s unbeaten 19 helped push the total past 100, but it remained well below par.
On a surface that rewarded disciplined bowling, the modest target of 113 left India firmly in control and well placed to seal the series in front of the home crowd.
