Visakhapatnam: A breathtaking unbeaten knock from Shafali Verma powered India Women to a commanding victory over Sri Lanka Women in the second T20 International, sealing the match by seven wickets with 49 balls remaining and taking an unassailable 2–0 lead in the series.
Chasing a modest target of 129, India lost Smriti Mandhana early, but Shafali quickly took control of the run chase with her aggressive stroke play. The opener raced to a half-century in just 27 deliveries and remained unbeaten on 69, ensuring there were no hiccups in India’s pursuit. She found strong support from Jemimah Rodrigues, with the duo adding a rapid 58 runs for the second wicket in only 28 balls. Although Rodrigues departed after a fluent contribution, the damage had already been done, and the target was reduced to a mere formality.
India reached 129 for 3 in just 11.5 overs, underlining their dominance and making Sri Lanka’s total look well below par.
Earlier in the match, India’s bowlers put in a disciplined and clinical performance after captain Harmanpreet Kaur chose to field first. Sri Lanka Women were restricted to 128 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs, as the Indian bowling attack kept a tight grip throughout the innings and denied the visitors any sustained momentum.
Rana, who was included in the playing XI in place of Deepti Sharma—ruled out due to illness—made an immediate impact, returning economical figures of 1 for 11 in her four overs. Vaishnavi Sharma and Sree Charani played key roles as well, picking up two wickets each, while Sri Lanka’s innings was further dented by three run-outs.
This victory followed India’s comprehensive performance in the opening T20I, where they dominated both with bat and ball to register an eight-wicket win despite dropping several catches. With this latest result, India have now won eight of their last ten T20Is against Sri Lanka, highlighting their continued supremacy in the format.
With the series already secured, India will look to maintain their winning momentum, while Sri Lanka will aim to regroup and end the tour on a positive note.