India produced another clinical all-round performance to beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the third T20I in Thiruvananthapuram, sealing the series with two matches to spare. Sri Lanka were restricted to 112 for 7 before Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 79 to finish the chase inside 14 overs.
The foundation of India’s victory was laid by the returning Renuka Singh, who struck early and finished with 4 for 21. Deepti Sharma was equally impressive, claiming 3 for 18 and becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is. Sri Lanka’s innings never gathered momentum despite a fighting 27 from Imesha Dulani.
Chasing 113, India raced ahead thanks to a blistering assault from Shafali. The opener struck eleven fours and three sixes, scoring more than two-thirds of India’s total on her own. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues fell cheaply, but Shafali’s power ensured India crossed the line with 40 balls remaining.
The win also marked a major milestone for India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who recorded her 77th victory as T20I captain, overtaking Australia’s Meg Lanning for the most wins in the format. With the series now at 3-0, Sri Lanka will look to regroup quickly to find answers in the remaining two games.
