Who won India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 3rd T20I today? — Match result & turning points

India Women sealed the five-match T20I series by defeating Sri Lanka Women by eight wickets in the third T20I at Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. With this dominant win, the hosts clinched the series 3-0 with two games to spare.

Asked to bat first, the visitors once again struggled to put up a strong total and managed only 112 for 7 in their 20 overs. Renuka Singh was the standout performer with the ball, running through the Sri Lankan batting line-up with figures of 4 for 21. Deepti Sharma provided brilliant support, picking up three wickets and ensuring the opposition never gained momentum.

Apart from some fight from Imesha Dulani and Kavisha Dilhari, the visitors failed to build any substantial partnerships.

In reply, India made light work of the chase. Shafali Verma produced an unbeaten 79 off just 42 balls and dominated the Sri Lankan bowlers. Despite early wickets, India raced to 115 for 2 in just 13.2 overs to complete a comprehensive victory.

Top batting performance of the match — Shafali Verma

Indian opener Shafali Verma scored her second fifty of the series as she recorded an unbeaten 79 off 42 deliveries.

She laced her knock with 11 boundaries and three sixes, playing at a strike rate of 188.09, and ensured that the Women in Blue reached the target comfortably. The right-handed batter scored the majority of the runs and made light work of the chase.  

Top Bowling performance of the match - Renuka Singh

Right-arm pacer, Renuka Singh, who was playing her first T20I since December last year, finished with figures of 4 for 21 from her four overs.

After being taken on early by Hasini Perera, Renuka got back her revenge by removing Perera with a full, swinging delivery and followed it up with a sharp caught-and-bowled to remove Harshitha Samarawickrama in the powerplay. The pacer returned to dismiss Imesha Dulani and then trapped Nilakshika Silva lbw. Her spell, along with the three-wicket haul from Deepti Sharma, gave India a massive advantage in the game.

Who won the Player of the Match?

Renuka Singh won the Player of the Match award, and it didn't come as a shock to many. The right-handed bowler bagged a four-wicket haul and became India Women’s leading wicket-taker with four-fors in T20Is. Her spell made sure the home team dominated the game from start and eventually register a win.

Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved

• Harmanpreet Kaur became the most successful captain in Women’s T20Is, going past Meg Lanning with her 77th win (including Super Overs).
• Harmanpreet Kaur extended her dominance against Sri Lanka Women, registering a record 16 wins as captain against a single team in WT20Is.
• India Women sealed their fourth consecutive T20I series win over Sri Lanka, having lost only their first-ever series against them back in 2014.
• Shafali Verma became the player with the most 50+ scores before turning 22 in WT20Is, surpassing the previous record with her 13th such knock.
• Shafali Verma recorded the joint-fastest fifty by an Indian Woman against Sri Lanka, reaching the milestone in just 24 balls.
• Shafali Verma registered only the second 50-plus score for India Women inside the powerplay in T20Is, joining Smriti Mandhana on the elite list.
• Renuka Thakur became India Women’s leading wicket-taker with four-fors in T20Is, moving ahead of Poonam Yadav.
• Deepti Sharma equalled the record for most wickets in Women’s T20Is, drawing level with Meghan Shutt at 151 scalps.
• Deepti Sharma also became the highest wicket-taker for India Women against Sri Lanka in T20Is, going past Ekta Bisht with 20 wickets.

What is the next match?

The fourth T20I in the five-match series is set to be played at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, December 28.

With today's win, India extended their lead and sealed the series.