A record-breaking opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma headlined another commanding display by India, as the hosts surged to a 4-0 lead in the five-match Women’s T20I series against Sri Lanka on Sunday, December 28.
The Indian openers produced sparkling half-centuries, shattered their own national partnership record, and laid the foundation for India’s highest-ever total in Women’s T20I cricket. The bowlers then completed the job despite a spirited chase from the visitors.
🔥 Mandhana & Verma Dominate from the Start
India’s intent was clear from the very first over. Boundaries flowed freely during the powerplay as both openers settled quickly and put the Sri Lankan bowlers under immense pressure.
- Shafali Verma took charge early, racing to 37 off just 20 balls
- Smriti Mandhana, anchoring the innings, crossed a historic milestone of 10,000 international runs, becoming:
- Only the fourth woman to achieve the feat
- The fastest woman to reach the landmark
While Mandhana paced her innings, Verma kept attacking, registering her third consecutive T20I half-century.
🏆 Record Partnership & Massive Total
- Verma reached her fifty first
- Mandhana followed soon after with a classy 35-ball half-century
- India raced to 120/0 after 12 overs, making a huge total inevitable
The duo then broke their own record for India’s highest T20I opening partnership, dominating the Sri Lankan attack with effortless boundary-hitting.
With five overs remaining, both batters looked set for centuries. However, in a brief anti-climax, both Mandhana and Verma were dismissed within six balls.
⚡ Richa Ghosh’s Explosive Finish
After the openers’ dismissal, Richa Ghosh and captain Harmanpreet Kaur took charge of the final overs.
Richa Ghosh made Sri Lanka pay dearly after being dropped:
- Penultimate over: 6, 6, 4, 6
- Finished unbeaten on 40*
Harmanpreet ensured India crossed the historic 220-run mark, the first time India have breached 220 in Women’s T20Is.
🎯 Sri Lanka’s Brave but Short-Lived Chase
Chasing a daunting 222, Sri Lanka showed admirable intent:
- Hasini Perera struck early boundaries
- Sri Lanka raced to 29/0 in 2 overs
- Chamari Athapaththu joined the attack, pushing the score past 50 inside 4 overs
At the halfway mark, Sri Lanka were 95/1, keeping hopes alive.
However, the turning point came when:
- Arundhati Reddy broke the opening stand
- Vaishnavi Sharma dismissed Athapaththu after her half-century
- Quick wickets followed, including a run-out and another key strike
Needing 67 runs from the last 3 overs, Sri Lanka eventually fell short, losing by 30 runs.
📊 Brief Scores
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| India | 221/2 (20 overs) |
| Sri Lanka | 191/6 (20 overs) |
🏏 Top Performers
- Smriti Mandhana: 80
- Shafali Verma: 79
- Richa Ghosh: 40*
- Chamari Athapaththu: 52
- Vaishnavi Sharma: 2/24
Result: India won by 30 runs
Series: India lead 4-0
🔍 Match Highlights (Bullet Summary)
- Record opening partnership by Mandhana & Verma
- India’s highest-ever WT20I total
- Mandhana crosses 10,000 international runs
- Richa Ghosh’s explosive late cameo
- Sri Lanka fight hard but fall short
