India Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 2nd T20I: Shafali Verma Leads Commanding Indian Victory
India Women continued their dominance over Sri Lanka Women with a thumping 7-wicket victory in the second T20 International at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam, sealing a 2–0 lead in the three-match series.
It was a near-perfect performance from Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, as they excelled in bowling, batting, and fielding, leaving Sri Lanka with little room to compete.
🔹 Match Summary at a Glance
| Match | 2nd T20I |
|---|---|
| Series | Sri Lanka Women tour of India 2025 |
| Venue | ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam |
| Toss | India Women won the toss & bowled |
| Sri Lanka | 128 all out |
| India | 129/3 in 11.5 overs |
| Result | India won by 7 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Shafali Verma |
🎯 Sri Lanka Women Innings: Promising Start, Poor Finish
Sri Lanka showed better intent compared to the first T20I but once again failed to capitalize on good starts.
Key Moments:
- Chamari Athapaththu provided early momentum but fell inside the powerplay.
- Harshitha Madavi & Hasini Perera added a steady partnership but lacked boundary acceleration.
- India’s spinners tightened the screws in the middle overs.
- Late wickets at the death restricted Sri Lanka to 128, a below-par total on this surface.
Best Indian Bowlers:
- Sneh Rana: 4 overs, 1/11 – exceptional control
- Vaishnavi Sharma: Picked crucial wickets
- Shree Charani: Maintained pressure in middle overs
India’s spinners conceded just 5.50 runs per over, completely choking Sri Lanka’s scoring rate.
🚀 India Women Chase: Shafali Verma Unstoppable
India made light work of the chase, reaching the target in just 11.5 overs, their fastest ever chase of a 120+ target in T20Is.
🔥 Shafali Verma – Player of the Match
- 69 off 32 balls*
- Strike Rate: 215+
- vs Spin: 42 off 16 balls
- Reached her fifty in just 27 balls
Shafali looked calm yet destructive, especially against spin, dismantling Sri Lanka’s bowling attack with ease.
Key Partnerships:
- Shafali Verma & Jemimah Rodrigues: 58 runs in quick time
- Jemimah scored a fluent 26 off 15 balls before falling
Despite losing Smriti Mandhana early, India never looked under pressure.
📊 Key Records & Stats from the Match
📌 Notable Records:
- Fastest chase by India Women of a 120+ target
- Most balls remaining (49) in a successful 120+ chase
- 113 runs after 10 overs – highest for India Women in T20Is
🏆 Most Player of the Match Awards (IND-W, T20Is)
| Player | Awards |
|---|---|
| Mithali Raj | 12 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 11 |
| Shafali Verma* | 8 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 7 |
| Deepti Sharma | 7 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | 7 |
🗣️ Post-Match Reactions
🏏 Shafali Verma:
“I tried to stay calm and play along the ground. Acceptance is everything — once you accept your weaknesses, you can become a better cricketer.”
🇮🇳 Harmanpreet Kaur (India Captain):
“Very happy with our bowling and fielding. We set certain standards as a team and everyone is committed to them.”
🇱🇰 Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka Captain):
“We need at least 150 against India. Our middle overs and boundary rotation need improvement.”
🔮 What’s Next?
- 3rd T20I: Friday
- India will aim for a clean sweep
- Sri Lanka must regroup quickly to avoid another heavy defeat
With India raising their standards match after match, Sri Lanka face a tough challenge ahead.
