The India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I in Thiruvananthapuram felt like a complete performance from a side that knows exactly who it is and how it wants to play. India chose to bowl, strangled Sri Lanka to a below‑par total, and then chased it down with a fearless Shafali Verma special and mature support from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. In a festive atmosphere at Greenfield International Stadium, the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I became less about just sealing the series and more about sending a message ahead of a busy T20 calendar.
India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I: Bowlers Set The Tone
Right from the first over of the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I, India’s bowling unit made it clear that 2‑0 up didn’t mean easing off. Harmanpreet Kaur again won the toss and chose to field, trusting her attack to do what it had done in Visakhapatnam—hit the right areas, squeeze run-scoring, and grab early wickets.
Sri Lanka were restricted to just 112/7 in their 20 overs in the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I, with Renuka Thakur leading the way. She finished with superb figures of 4/21 in four overs, striking in the powerplay and again at the death. Deepti Sharma was equally influential, taking 3/18 and joining Megan Schutt as joint leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is—151 wickets—during this match. On a pitch where the ball held a bit, their clever changes of pace and lengths broke Sri Lanka’s rhythm every time they tried to rebuild.
India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I: Sri Lanka’s Batting Struggles Continue
Sri Lanka’s story in the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I was sadly similar to the first two games: promising starts, followed by collapses at key moments. Captain Chamari Athapaththu never really got going; she laboured to 3 off 12 balls before falling to Deepti Sharma, trying to force a release shot. Hasini Perera offered resistance with a brisk 25 off 18, using scoops and aggressive strokes to push Sri Lanka towards respectability, but once she departed to Renuka, the innings lost momentum again.
Useful runs from the middle and lower middle order took Sri Lanka to 112/7 in the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I, but even live commentators pointed out that on this surface they were at least 15–20 short of a truly challenging score. India’s spinners and medium pacers kept the scoring mostly in check, and the fielding—barring a couple of dropped chances—backed them up well.
Shafali Verma’s Blazing 79* Steals The Show
If the ball belonged to Renuka and Deepti, the bat undoubtedly belonged to Shafali Verma in the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I. Chasing 113, India lost Smriti Mandhana early for 1, trapped lbw by Kaveesha Dilhari as her lean run in the series continued. But Shafali responded in the only way she knows—by going on the attack.
She smashed an unbeaten 79 off just 42 balls in the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I, peppering the boundary with pulls, lofted drives and down-the-track hits that cleared long-off and midwicket with ease. Her innings included a flurry of fours and sixes that saw India cruise to 115/2 in just 13.2 overs, winning by eight wickets with a massive 40 balls to spare. Harmanpreet Kaur played the perfect supporting role, finishing unbeaten in the 20s and rotating strike to keep Shafali on song when the chase narrowed.
India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I: What This Win Means For India
Beyond the 3‑0 lead in a five-match series, the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I underlined a few deeper themes for this team. First, the bowling unit—Renuka back firing, Deepti at record‑breaking heights, Kranti Goud and Vaishnavi Sharma offering control—looks well balanced and adaptable to different pitches. Second, India have found a strong template: bowl first, apply pressure, and let an aggressive top order chase down modest targets without fear.
For Harmanpreet, the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I also moves her closer to history as one of the most successful captains in women’s T20Is, with 76-plus wins already to her name and the chance to go past Meg Lanning on this very home season. For fans, seeing Shafali, Jemimah, Smriti, Deepti and Renuka all contribute at different stages of the series makes this win feel like part of a bigger, exciting build‑up towards global tournaments.
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