India Women continued their dominant run against Sri Lanka Women with a comprehensive 30-run victory in the fourth t20 international at thiruvananthapuram, riding on a historic opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, as the hosts surged to a 4–0 lead in the five-match series.
After already sealing the series with three consecutive wins, India showed no signs of easing off, producing another emphatic performance in front of the kerala crowd. Batting first, the home side posted a formidable total of 221 for 2 in their allotted 20 overs, immediately placing Sri Lanka under intense scoreboard pressure. The visitors responded with a spirited chase but ultimately fell short, managing 190 for 6, as India’s all-round strength once again proved decisive.
record-breaking opening stand sets up massive total
India Women made a blistering start as smriti mandhana and shafali verma dismantled the Sri Lankan bowling attack with a stunning display of power and timing. The opening pair added 162 runs for the first wicket, registering the highest-ever opening partnership for India Women in t20 international history and effectively taking the contest away from the visitors within the first half of the innings.
Mandhana marked her return to top form with a fluent 80, mixing elegant strokeplay with calculated aggression. She found the gaps consistently and punished loose deliveries, keeping the scoreboard ticking at a rapid pace. At the other end, shafali continued her impressive run of form, smashing 79 with her trademark fearless approach, targeting both pace and spin to maintain relentless pressure on Sri Lanka’s bowlers.
The partnership not only laid a solid foundation but also ensured that India were well ahead of the required scoring rate early on. Sri Lanka struggled to contain the openers, with bowlers finding little margin for error as boundaries flowed freely across the greenfield stadium. By the time the first wicket fell, India had already positioned themselves for a total well beyond par.
The momentum was sustained in the closing overs by Richa Ghosh, who delivered a devastating cameo. Richa remained unbeaten on 40 off just 16 balls, striking the ball cleanly and accelerating India’s scoring rate at the death. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur provided calm support, finishing on 16 not out as India closed their innings at an imposing 221 for 2.
For Sri Lanka, malsha shehani and nimasha meepage were the only bowlers to taste success, claiming one wicket each in an otherwise difficult outing that highlighted the gulf in batting firepower between the two sides on the day.
sri lanka fight back but india’s bowlers seal another win
Chasing a daunting target of 222, Sri Lanka began with intent and briefly raised hopes of a competitive contest. Openers got off to a promising start, adding 59 runs for the first wicket and attempting to keep pace with the required run rate. Hasini Perera played a brisk knock of 33 off 20 balls, providing early momentum at the top of the order.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu once again shouldered responsibility for the chase, scoring a fighting half-century. Her 52-run effort showcased determination and stroke-making under pressure, but lacked sustained support from the rest of the batting line-up as wickets fell at regular intervals during the middle overs.
India’s bowlers maintained discipline despite the high target, focusing on tight lines and smart variations to prevent Sri Lanka from building long partnerships. Vaishnavi Sharma and Arundhati Reddy led the bowling effort, picking up two wickets each to derail the chase and ensure Sri Lanka never truly threatened India’s total.
Sri Lanka eventually finished on 190 for 6 in their 20 overs, a competitive score in isolation but insufficient against the scale of India’s batting performance. The result marked Sri Lanka’s fourth consecutive defeat in the series and underlined India’s depth and consistency across departments.
With this win, India Women extended their unbeaten run in the series to 4–0 and will look to complete a clean sweep when the two sides meet in the fifth and final t20 international on december 30 at the greenfield stadium in thiruvananthapuram. The series has highlighted India’s growing dominance in the shortest format and the continued emergence of match-winning partnerships at the top of the order.
