Indian Bowlers Star as Sri Lanka Restricted to 121/6 in Opening Women’s T20I at Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, Dec 2025 : Indian bowlers produced a commanding performance to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest 121/6 in 20 overs during the first match of the five-match Women’s T20I bilateral series at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The game marked India’s return to T20 action after their historic Women’s ODI World Cup triumph in Navi Mumbai.

After winning the toss, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur elected to field, putting Sri Lanka under immediate pressure. Despite some sloppy fielding that included a few dropped catches, misfields, and a six allowed by Smriti Mandhana, the Indian bowlers controlled the match with discipline and precision. The hosts’ experience and tactical use of spin kept the Sri Lankan batters under constant pressure.

Sri Lanka struggled to adjust to the T20 format, particularly after the early dismissal of their skipper Chamari Athapaththu for 15 off 12 balls. She had struck three boundaries in the first couple of overs before Kranti Gaud found a gap between the bat and pad to rattle the stumps, claiming her first wicket in Women’s T20Is. The Islanders could only manage 31/1 in the power-play, indicating their difficulties in accelerating against tight bowling.

India’s spin attack proved to be the linchpin in controlling the innings. Debutant Vaishavi Sharma did not claim a wicket but bowled economically, conceding just 16 runs in four overs. Deepti Sharma also bowled tightly, giving away only 10 runs in three overs. N. Shree Charani, while slightly expensive at 1-30 in four overs and guilty of dropping two straightforward catches, contributed to tying the Sri Lankan middle order in knots. For India, Kranti Gaud (1-23), Deepti Sharma (1-20), and Shree Charani (1-30) each claimed a wicket, keeping the Islanders on the back foot.

Among the Sri Lankan batters, Vishmi Gunaratne emerged as the lone warrior, scoring a patient 39 off 43 balls, including a four and a six, before being run out by a brilliant piece of fielding from Kranti Gaud. She had shared a 38-run partnership with Harshitha Samarawickrama, who scored 21 off 23 balls. Hasini Perera also made 20 off 23, but none of the other batters could capitalize on their starts, and the Islanders failed to hit any big shots in the innings.

The match highlighted contrasting selection strategies: India retained a majority of the players who won the 50-over World Cup, demonstrating trust in their experienced squad, while Sri Lanka opted for several young players as both teams experiment with combinations ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026.

Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka Women 121/6 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 39, Harshitha Samarawickrama 21; Kranti Gaud 1-23, Deepti Sharma 1-20, N. Shree Charani 1-30) against India Women.

The opening match showcased India’s depth in bowling, particularly among their spinners, and set the tone for a competitive series as both sides look to fine-tune their squads for upcoming international tournaments.