India women made it two wins in two matches with another emphatic performance, this time headlined by a Shafali Verma masterclass. Sri Lanka, batting first, managed 128/9 in their 20 overs, a total India chased down in just 11.5 overs to underline their dominance.
India are once again showing why they are the reigning world champions. If the last game belonged to Jemimah Rodrigues, this one was unmistakably Shafali’s. While Jemimah had reminded everyone in the opener why India triumphed in the World Cup 2025 semi-final, Shafali brought back memories of the final. She was in sublime touch from the outset, and Chamari Athapaththu and her side had no answer to the Shafali onslaught.
Earlier, in a rare occurrence, the Indian captain won the toss for the second game in a row and opted to bowl first. Kranti Gaud struck in the very first over, removing Vishmi Gunarathne. Athapaththu then provided Sri Lanka with a powerful start, but just as she began to look ominous, Harmanpreet Kaur introduced Sneh Rana, drafted into the XI with Deepti Sharma down with fever. Rana dismissed Athapaththu for 31, leaving Sri Lanka at 38/2 in 5.3 overs.
Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama then came together to add a run-a-ball 44-run partnership. However, as has often been the case, once Athapaththu departed, the Sri Lankan batters struggled to find the boundary. Athapaththu alone struck three fours and two sixes, while the rest of the team combined for just eight fours.
India’s fielding also showed marked improvement. Smriti Mandhana and Sree Charani, who had erred in the previous match, both held on to chances this time. Vaishnavi Sharma claimed her maiden T20I wicket and finished with figures of 2/32 from four overs. Charani supported her well with 2/23 from her quota. The standout bowler, though, was Sneh Rana, who sucked the momentum out of the Sri Lankan innings with miserly figures of 1/11 in four overs. Sri Lanka eventually scrambled to 128/9.
In reply, Shafali and Smriti Mandhana came out all guns blazing against the Sri Lankan pacers. India raced to 29 in three overs before Kaveesha Dilhari broke the opening stand by dismissing Mandhana. Jemimah, announced earlier in the evening as Delhi Capitals captain, joined Shafali, and the duo added 58 runs off just 27 balls. Jemimah matched Shafali shot for shot, scoring 26 off 15 deliveries.
Even after Jemimah’s dismissal, Shafali continued her assault, overpowering the Sri Lankan attack with brute force. She finished unbeaten on 69 off 34 balls, striking 11 fours and a six, and sealed the chase in ruthless fashion.
The caravan now moves to Trivandrum, with Sri Lanka left scrambling for answers. India, 2–0 up in the series, may consider testing their bench strength, while Sri Lanka face a must-win scenario. After a two-day break, the third T20I on the 26th will be Sri Lanka’s last chance to keep the series alive.
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