Sri Lanka Women’s skipper, Chamari Athapaththu, expressed disappointment over her team’s batting struggles despite a favorable pitch, leading to their second consecutive defeat against India in the ongoing five-match series. India’s opener, Shafali Verma, played a stellar unbeaten innings of 69 runs, guiding India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and securing a 2-0 lead in the T20I series.
In the match, India’s decision to bowl first paid off as they restricted Sri Lanka’s scoring opportunities, preventing them from building momentum. Although Sri Lanka showed some improvement from their previous match’s total of 121, they faced challenges against the disciplined Indian bowling attack. Skipper Athapaththu was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, contributing 31 runs off 24 balls before being dismissed by Sneh Rana.
Despite a promising start in the Power-play, Sri Lanka faced setbacks losing wickets at crucial junctures. Athapaththu emphasized the need for her team to enhance their performance in the middle and death overs, focusing on boundary-hitting rather than just rotating the strike. The Sri Lankan skipper also highlighted the challenges faced by their bowlers on a batting-friendly pitch and stressed the importance of posting a competitive total to defend.
Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama tried to stabilize Sri Lanka’s innings with a partnership, but their efforts were not enough to pose a significant challenge to India. Shafali Verma’s explosive batting display led India’s successful chase, with valuable contributions from Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues. India comfortably reached the target of 129 runs in just 11.5 overs, with Richa Ghosh sealing the victory.
