India Women posted their highest-ever t20I total of 221/2 to secure a 30-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth T20I at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. The win gives the hosts a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. Despite a spirited fightback from the visitors, led by captain Chamari Athapaththu’s 52, India’s massive score proved insurmountable.
The foundation of the victory was a record-breaking 162-run opening stand between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, eclipsing their own previous Indian record of 143 set in 2019. Mandhana, who had managed only 40 runs in the first three matches, roared back to form with a sublime 80 off 48 balls.
During her innings, she became only the fourth woman to reach 10,000 international runs and set a new record for the most runs by a woman in a calendar year (1,703). "After playing a lot of ODI cricket, it was hard to get into T20 mode, I had some gameplans against them, I came early and tried to work on that," Mandhana said after the match.
Shafali Verma continued her prolific form, scoring 79 off 46 balls to record her third consecutive half-century of the series. While Shafali provided the aggression at the top, Richa Ghosh provided the finishing flourish.
Promoted to number three, Ghosh blasted an unbeaten 40 off just 16 balls, including a 23-run assault on Kavisha Dilhari in the 19th over. This late surge propelled India past the 200-mark, making Athapaththu’s toss-time assessment of 140 being a competitive total look vastly underestimated.
Sri Lanka’s chase began with genuine fire as Hasini Perera, 33, and Athapaththu raced to 52/0 within the first four overs. The pair put India’s bowlers under rare pressure, but the daunting required rate eventually forced errors.
Vaishnavi Sharma emerged as the standout bowler for the hosts, finishing with 2/24. She claimed the vital wicket of Athapaththu in the 13th over, caught by Mandhana at long-off, which effectively broke the back of the Sri Lankan pursuit.
Though India’s fielding was patchy; including four dropped catches and a missed stumping, the sheer weight of runs ensured a comfortable margin. Mandhana spoke of the simple chemistry between the openers, noting, "We just tell each other to watch the ball. We wanted to keep Shafali on strike, as she wanted to hit every ball for six." The teams will now head into the final match of the series on Tuesday, with India eyeing a clean sweep.
