India and Sri Lanka. (Photo source: Getty Images)

India Women (IND W) lock horns with Sri Lanka Women (SL W) in the first T20I at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, December 21.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. will be returning to the field for the first time since winning the Women's ODI World Cup at home in November. They are set to face Sri Lanka in a five-match T20I series. The Women in Blue played a five-match T20I series in the United Kingdom earlier this year against England and won 3-2. This will be their second assignment in the shortest format in 2025.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka will look to bounce back strongly after a dismal campaign in the ODI World Cup. They finished fifth on the points table, winning just one out of their seven games. However, three matches were washed out. Sri Lanka's hopes will rest on captain Chamari Athapaththu, as she has been a thorn in India's side in the past.

IND W vs SL W Match Details

Match	India Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 1st T20I, Sri Lanka tour of India, 2025
Date	Sunday, December 21; 7:00 PM (IST)
Venue	ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Broadcast and live-streaming	JioStar Network Channels and JioHotstar (App and Website)

ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam Pitch Report

The ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam is expected to provide a balanced surface, but dew could play a massive role. The captain who wins the toss would want to bowl first. There could be some swing for the new-ball bowlers, at least in the first couple of overs in each innings.

IND W vs SL W Head to Head Record in T20Is

Matches Played	26
Won by IND W	20
Won by SL W	05
No Result / Tied	01
First-ever fixture	June 15, 2009 (IND Won)
Most-recent fixture	October 9, 2025 (IND Won)

IND W vs SL W Predicted Playing 11s India Women (IND W):

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani.

Sri Lanka (SL W):

Chamari Athapaththu (C), Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera, Harshita Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshi de Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana (WK), Shashini Gimhani, Malsha Shehani, Malki Madara, Inoka Ranaweera.

IND W vs SL W Probable Top Performers of the match Probable Best Batter — Smriti Mandhana Smriti Mandhana. (Photo source: Nikhil Patil/Getty Images)

Smriti Mandhana would feel relieved, getting an opportunity to return to the field after her personal life had been discussed and dissected too often in recent weeks. The Indian vice-captain would look to stamp her authority with another one of her classic knocks.

Probable Best Bowler — Shree Charani

Left-arm spinner Shree Charani has come of age in recent times. The 21-year-old has bowled brilliantly, mixing her lengths and speeds commendably. Her spell through the middle overs is going to be crucial on Sunday.

Today's Match Prediction: India Women to win the match