The Indian women's cricket team, fresh from a historic World Cup triumph last month, will aim to address its fielding concerns when it takes on Sri Lanka in the second Women's T20 International (WT20I) in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. The team secured a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in the series opener but identified catching and ground fielding as areas needing immediate improvement.
Rusty Fielding Mars Clinical Performance
Playing their first international match since the World Cup high, Harmanpreet Kaur's side dominated with both bat and ball at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. The bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 121 for 6. However, the team's performance in the field was below par, with several dropped catches.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged the issue post-match. "We are working on our fielding. Don't know why we keep dropping catches. It is wet out here, but it is not an excuse. That is something we really need to think about. In the next match, we will come about with a better approach," she stated. The team had reassembled after a six-week break for a week-long camp in Bengaluru, and some initial rustiness was expected.
Batting and Bowling Positives Shine Through
Despite the fielding lapses, there were significant positives. Jemimah Rodrigues, in sublime form, picked up from where she left off in the World Cup. She was particularly severe on Sri Lanka's left-arm wrist spinner Shashini Gimhani, hitting her for six boundaries. Rodrigues' fluent innings set the platform for the easy chase.
The bowling department also saw a promising debut from 20-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma. Although she did not take a wicket, her economical spell of 16 runs without conceding a single boundary was a highlight. Her performance came after being overlooked at the recent Women's Premier League (WPL) auctions.
Looking Ahead: Consistency and Bigger Challenges
For explosive opener Shafali Verma, this series is crucial to finding consistency in the T20 format. The first game did not test India's batting deeply, but players like Rodrigues, Harmanpreet, and all-rounder Deepti Sharma will welcome more competitive contests as preparation for the upcoming tough tour of Australia after the WPL.
On paper, India remains the overwhelming favourite against the Chamari Athapaththu-led Sri Lankan side. The focus for the second match, however, will be as much on process as on result. "We are playing after a month. We don't want to unnecessarily challenge ourselves. We just want to do well for the team," Harmanpreet had emphasized, indicating a balanced approach to building momentum after the long break.
The team's immediate goal is clear: consolidate the series lead with a more complete performance, where fielding matches the standard set by the batters and bowlers.
