India's women's cricket team, under the inspirational leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, completed a dominant 5-0 clean sweep of their T20I series against Sri Lanka with a hard-fought 15-run victory in the final match at Thiruvananthapuram's Greenfield International Stadium on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
Captain's Knock Rescues Faltering Innings
Faced with a precarious situation at 77 for 5, it was skipper Harmanpreet Kaur who single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of rebuilding the Indian innings. Walking out to bat in the fifth over, the 36-year-old played a masterful lone hand, scoring a match-defining 68 runs off just 43 deliveries. Her innings, studded with nine boundaries and a six, was a blend of power and precision, featuring authoritative drives, pulls, and clever use of her feet against the spinners.
She was particularly severe on left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, plundering 32 runs off the 16 balls she faced from her. A crucial 61-run partnership in 38 balls with Amanjot Kaur provided stability, before a blistering, unbeaten cameo of 27 from 11 balls by Arundhati Reddy propelled India to a competitive total of 175 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Sri Lanka's Valiant Chase Falls Short
Sri Lanka, chasing 176 to avoid a whitewash, began their pursuit on a shaky note, losing their captain and key batter Chamari Athapaththu cheaply for just 2 runs. However, a solid foundation was laid by Hasini Perera (65) and Imesha Dulani (50), who stitched together a sensible partnership. They took the score to 75 for 1 at the halfway mark, keeping Sri Lanka in the hunt.
The momentum shifted after Dulani's dismissal, which brought up her half-century. Perera tried to anchor the chase, but the required run rate kept climbing. The equation came down to a demanding 64 runs off the last 30 balls. Perera's dismissal in the 17th over, bowled by Sree Charani for 65, effectively ended Sri Lanka's hopes. The Indian bowlers, led by Deepti Sharma who became the leading wicket-taker in T20Is during the match, held their nerve in the death overs, restricting the visitors to 160 for 7.
A Series of Complete Dominance
This victory capped off a thoroughly one-sided series for the Indian women. While the top order had been instrumental in the first four wins, the final match showcased the team's depth and ability to win from difficult situations. Sri Lanka's captain Chamari Athapaththu had a torrid series, managing only 103 runs across the five matches.
The comprehensive 5-0 result underscores India's growing supremacy in the women's T20 format and provides significant momentum as they build towards future international assignments. The triumph in Thiruvananthapuram was a fitting testament to a team performance where different players rose to the occasion across the series, culminating in a captain's exemplary knock when it mattered most.
Brief Scores: India 175/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 68, Arundhati Reddy 27*; Kawya Dilhari 2/11) beat Sri Lanka 160/7 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 65, Imesha Dulani 50; Arundhati Reddy 1/16) by 15 runs.
