Pacer Renuka Singh Thakur made a strong comeback in the T20I side, taking four wickets as India limited Sri Lanka to 112/7 in the third match of the series at the Greenfield International Stadium. Renuka’s 4-21 and Deepti Sharma’s 3-18 put pressure on Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, which struggled after being asked to bat first for the third consecutive time.
Sri Lanka initially showed promise but faltered, with only Imesha Dulani and Kavisha Dilhari’s 40-run partnership offering resistance. Despite late contributions from Kaushini Nuthyangana, Sri Lanka’s total fell below expectations. Captain Chamari Athapaththu’s dismissal by Deepti added to Sri Lanka’s woes.
Renuka’s impressive bowling removed key Sri Lankan batters, including Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Nilakshika Silva, leaving Sri Lanka at 45/4. Imesha and Kavisha then tried to stabilize the innings with aggressive strokes but fell short. Deepti’s milestone of 1000 runs and 150 wickets in T20Is further highlighted India’s dominance.
With Sri Lanka struggling, Deepti’s crucial wickets helped her equal the record for the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20I history. Sri Lanka managed to cross the 110-run mark, but India, with a comfortable lead in the series, is poised to chase down the target easily.
