India began their 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup preparations with a thumping win against Sri Lanka in Vizag. Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka managed 121/6 in their 20 overs. India chased down the target with ease, winning by eight wickets with 32 balls to spare.
Chasing 122, Jemimah Rodrigues took everyone down memory lane, playing a brilliant knock reminiscent of her semi-final century in the 50-over World Cup against Australia. Hitting the ball to almost every part of the ground, she found the gaps at will. The Sri Lankan bowlers and captain had no answer to Jemimah’s unbeaten 69 off 44 balls.
Shafali Verma fell early after hitting a classical drive through the off side. Smriti Mandhana initially struggled to time the ball, but once the spinners came on, she played some sublime strokes before holding out for 25. Jemimah, however, did not let the pressure off the bowlers. Her timing and running between the wickets were another reminder that intent and aggression do not necessarily mean hitting every ball out of the park. Finding gaps and rotating strike can fetch boundaries and ensure a healthy strike rate as well.
Earlier in the evening, Sri Lanka’s innings saw captain Chamari Athapaththu race to 15 before missing the line of a Kranti Gaud delivery. That wicket marked the beginning of Sri Lanka’s downfall, and with Chamari’s dismissal went their hopes of posting a competitive total. While Vishmi Gunaratne held on at one end for 39 runs, the other batters got starts, struck a few boundaries, and then fell away. A flurry of run outs further hurt Sri Lanka’s cause.
Indian fielders Sree Charani, Richa Ghosh and Smriti did offer early Christmas gifts to the Sri Lankan batters by dropping a few easy catches, but the Sri Lankan players returned the courtesy by getting themselves run out. With no batter really taking on the Indian bowlers, Sri Lanka crawled to 121/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
As expected, the Vizag dew did not disappoint and the Sri Lankan bowlers, in particular, struggled to grip the ball. On several occasions, batters while running and fielders while chasing the ball, slipped due to the heavy dew. India go 1-0 up in the five-match series. Sri Lanka have just one day to put their plans in place. They will hope to regroup quickly and make a comeback in the next game on December 23 at the same ground.
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