Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka, right, is consoled by teammate Dunith Wellalage after losing the T20 World Cup cricket match against Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Harmanpreet held the Indian innings together.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

Groundsmen prepare the pitch ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 match between India and Sri Lanka, at ACA Stadium, Barsapara, in Guwahati, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Teammates congratulate India’s wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, centre, after she took a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Sugandika Kumari during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and Sri Lanka at Dubai International Stadium, United Arab Emirates, on October 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The seasoned duo of Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur was back to its sizzling best as India gave a massive boost to their net run rate with an 82-run hammering of Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 World Cup here on Wednesday.

The 98-run stand between Shafali Verma (43 off 40) and Smriti (50 off 38) set the tone for the innings after India opted to bat at the Dubai International Stadium. Harmanpreet (52 not out off 27) then got welcome runs in the death overs to push India past 170, the highest total of the competition thus far.

Sri Lanka, who had got the better of India in the Asia Cup, could never really get going in the run chase and were all out for 90 in 19.5 overs. It was Sri Lanka’s third loss in as many games, effectively putting them out of the semifinals race.

With their second win in three games, India remain in the hunt for a last four spot from Group A. The loss to New Zealand had put a severe dent to India’s net run rate and they needed a big win to make amends, something they managed on Wednesday.

It was also India’s biggest margin of victory in the tournament history, pushing their run rate to positive from negative.

India’s last group game is against the mighty Australia.

Pacer Renuka Singh Thakur struck on the very first ball of the innings with substitute Radha Yadav taking a stunning catch to get rid of Vishmi Gunaratne.

Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapattu was the next one to depart as Shreyanka Patil had her caught at first slip for a classical off-spinner’s dismissal.

Sri Lanka were reduced to six for three when Harshitha Samrawickrama went for a flashy drive against Renuka but ended up nicking it to the wicket-keeper. Leg-spinner Asha Sobhana then got into the action and struck thrice to increase the victory margin for her team.

Earlier Smriti, who had struggled in the tournament up till now due to the slow nature of pitches, found it tough initially before getting into the groove.

Shafali coming up with regular boundaries at the other end helped Smriti settle down.

While the southpaw could not put away off-spinner Inoshi Priyadharshani, she deposited left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari down the ground for her first boundary.

A little later, Smriti stepped out to another left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera to smash India’s first six of the tournament, highlighting the team’s serious struggles in the power-hitting department.

Shafali on the other hand began well before slowing down. Her aggressive play in the powerplay took India to 41 for no loss.

Both openers were dismissed off successive balls in the 13th over, bringing Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet into the middle.

Harmanpreet, whose consistency has been questioned time and time again, showed that she remains India’s most belligerent batter. She looked in business ever since she slog swept Kumari for six in the cow corner region in the 15th over.

Her whirlwind knock comprised eight boundaries including two straight hits off Udeshika Prabhodani in the final over.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka: Vishmi Gunaratne c sub (RP Yadav) b Renuka 0 Chamari Athapaththu c Sharma b Patil 1 Harshitha Samarawickrama c Ghosh b Renuka 3 Kavisha Dilhari c Renuka b Reddy 21 Anushka Sanjeewani st Ghosh b Sobhana 20 Nilakshika Silva c Shafali b Reddy 8 Ama Kanchana c sub (RP Yadav) b Reddy 19 Sugandika Kumari c Ghosh b Sobhana 1 Inoshi Priyadharshani c sub (RP Yadav) b Sobhana 1 Udeshika Prabodhani c Mandhana b Sharma 9 Inoka Ranaweera not out 2

Extras: (LB-5) 5

Total: (All out in 19.5 overs) 90

Fall of Wickets: 1-0, 2-4, 3-6, 4-43, 5-57, 6-58, 7-61, 8-65, 9-86

Bowling: Renuka Singh 4-0-16-2, Shreyanka Patil 4-0-15-1, Deepti Sharma 3.5-0-16-1, Arundhati Reddy 4-0-19-3, Asha Sobhana 4-0-19-3.

India: Shafali Verma c Gunaratne b Athapaththu 43 Smriti Mandhana run out 50 Harmanpreet Kaur not out 52 Jemimah Rodrigues c Prabodhani b Kanchana 16 Richa Ghosh not out 16

Extras: (NB-1, W-4) 5

Total: (For Three Wickets in 20 overs) 172

Fall of Wickets: 1-98, 2-98, 3-128

Bowling: Inoshi Priyadharshani 2-0-11-0, Sugandika Kumari 3-0-29-0, Udeshika Prabodhani 3-0-32-0, Kavisha Dilhari 2-0-11-0, Inoka Ranaweera 3-0-26-0, Chamari Athapaththu 4-0-34-1, Ama Kanchana 3-0-29-1

India Women’s Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana celebrate their partnership during the Semi-Final match against Bangladesh Women’s in the Womens Asia Cup T20, 2024, at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) said skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be leading the side against Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 World Cup, having got retired hurt in the previous game due to discomfort in her neck.

Harmanpreet had walked off the field when she was batting on 29 against Pakistan on Sunday. India won that game by six wickets but still face early elimination from the tournament following the loss to New Zealand in their opener.

“She [Harman] is doing fine and she will be fine for tomorrow,” Mandhana told reporters.

However, there is no clarity over the fitness status of all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar who missed the Pakistan game.

“Pooja, I think the medical team is still working on her. So, the update will come only tomorrow during the match. But yeah, I don’t think I can say anything at the moment,” said Mandhana.

Conditions different from our expectations

Mandhana, the best batter in the side, has failed to get going thus far on the slow wickets of the UAE where stroke making has proved to be extremely tough.

India face Sri Lanka on Wednesday, a team that stunned them in the Asia Cup final not so long ago. They are yet to play Australia and their hopes of making the semifinals hang by a thread.

India chased down 106 in 18.5 overs against Pakistan, mindful of the run rate factor in the business end of the tournament.

“It [run rate] definitely was last match, but as I said, the conditions are a lot different to what you expect as a batter so you are probably thinking to get that run rate high and also you firstly you have to win the match first that’s the first priority for us,” said Mandhana.

“So, it’s a balance between trying to find out what’s the best for the team. Of course, you know in the last match I couldn’t like I started off fine but then later on I consumed a few dot balls which was a little irritating for me…”

“…but yeah having said that as batters we have to be really smart we can’t we can’t just go out there thinking that oh we are going to take on this bowling lineup and we are just going to cruise because of course the conditions and the outfield is a lot different,” she said.

Mandhana said conditions in the tournament have been different from their expectations when asked about Harmanpreet going back to number four against Pakistan after batting at three against New Zealand.

“Definitely the wicket condition, the ground conditions are a lot different to what we thought when we came here. That also is a big consideration [in deciding batter order],” she said.

“The conditions, I don’t see any except the New Zealand match, we haven’t seen any team go over 140 in the whole tournament, 135-140, be it a day game or a night game, says a lot about the conditions,” she added.

India’s Shreyas Iyer leaves the ground after losing his wicket during the third ODI cricket match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday (Aug. 7, 2024)
| Photo Credit: AP

Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach started promisingly with a 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in the T20Is before his side was shocked in the 50-over format, going down 2-0 in the three-match series.

The conditions in the one-dayers were on the extreme side, considering how spin-friendly the surfaces were, and batting got progressively tricky as the game went by. A case can be made that such pitches are an outlier, and one shouldn’t read too much into the results.

Wake-up call

However, the reverses in the ODIs might be a timely wake-up call to the team management, considering India fielded almost a full-strength side, missing only Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

Gambhir’s big vision for the team indicates that he wants more all-rounders and the batters to roll their arms over. The likes of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma bowled a few overs. In last year’s 50-over World Cup, once India lost Hardik, it had only one genuine all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja and had a long tail. India’s batting depth in this series extended to eight and even nine in the final one-dayer by playing all-rounders Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Riyan Parag.

Another aspect evident throughout the tour, in both the T20s and one-dayers, was the preference to have a left-handed and right-handed batter in the middle as much as possible. However, whether the think-tank persists with this remains to be seen.

In terms of individual efforts, Washington and Parag’s bowling were the big positives.

Parag was impressive in the T20s and on his one-day debut, effectively mixing his off- and leg-breaks. Washington, the Player-of-the-Series in Zimbabwe, continued his fine bowling form. He was tight as ever and got more purchase off the surface to give vital breakthroughs in the one-dayers.

Dube got a sustained run in this series to see if he could be an effective back-up for Hardik. But the all-rounder did not set the stage on fire. While his bowling was decent, his inability to close out games through his willow was a let-down. Known for his ability to hit the spinners, Dube failed to do that in challenging conditions.

Rishabh Pant’s return to the one-day set-up in the final game came two years after his life-threatening accident but lasted only nine deliveries. For now, it seems K.L. Rahul, who has been impressive as a middle-order batter in the last few years, will continue to don the big gloves.

Concern

The big concern for the coaching staff will be that the team did not get much headway in answering the question about the third seamer. Arshdeep Singh was unimpressive in the two games and the team couldn’t try out Khaleel Ahmed or Harshit Rana either.

India would have wanted to shore up its resources for a few slots in an otherwise settled one-day set-up. The results, though, were mixed, and management will have plenty to ponder in the near future.

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav (C) and Rinku Singh celebrate after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Ramesh Mendis (not pictured) during the third and final Twenty20 international cricket match between Sri Lanka and India at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on July 30, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Suryakumar Yadav had never bowled in a T20I, before today.

On Tuesday, at the Pallekele Stadium, with Sri Lanka needing six runs for a win off the final over, the Indian captain brought himself on, opting not to go for the more conventional option of pacer Mohammed Siraj.

What unfolded was stuff usually reserved for fiction as Suryakumar gave away just five runs, with a mix of off-breaks and seam-ups, ensuring a tie.

Improbable victory

A shell-shocked Sri Lanka folded out for two runs in the Super Over batting first. Befittingly, it was Suryakumar who struck the winning runs, with a four off the first ball, as India secured an improbable victory and a series clean sweep.

With two overs to go in the chase, the odds were even more stacked against India, with the home side needing just nine runs. Suryakumar handed the ball to Rinku Singh — who too had never bowled in a T20I before today. Rinku delivered a three-run over, dismissing the well-settled Kusal Perera and Ramesh Mendis, to set the stage for his captain.

India’s inconceivable win was aided in no small measure by the now-customary Sri Lankan middle-order collapse.

Once again, the top-order trio of Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera hauled the team to relative safety, in its 138-run chase, only for the rest of the batting order to fumble.

India’s resurgence was set up first by its front-line spinners. Ravi Bishnoi provided the initial breakthroughs by accounting for Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. Washington Sundar followed it by piercing the Lankan middle order with a double strike, dismissing Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka.

But their contributions would soon be surpassed by the part-time duo of Rinku and Suryakumar.

Earlier, for the first time in this series, India floundered with the bat after being sent in as the home bowlers bowled with purpose and intensity.

India’s decision to promote Sanju Samson and Rinku up the order yielded no rewards as both batters were dismissed cheaply, and were soon followed by Suryakumar.

Shubman Gill, the lone survivor of the top-order collapse, and Riyan Parag put together a crucial 54-run stand. This, along with a late cameo from Washington proved to be a key differential in the end.

Captain Chamari Athapaththu’s turbo-charged fifty combined well with the steadfast half-century of Harshitha Samarawickrama as a resilient Sri Lanka carved an eight-wicket win over defending champions India to bag their maiden women’s Asia Cup title on July 28.

This is the second time in nine Asia Cup editions (WODI and WT20I) across formats that India have lost a final. The last time India lost the final was against Bangladesh in 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.

Tasked with hunting down a strong target of 166, Sri Lanka served well by Athapaththu (61b, 43b, 9×4, 2×6) and Samarawickrama (69 not out, 51b, 6×4, 2×6) and finished at 167 for two in 18.4 overs.

Athapaththu and Samarawickrama added 87 runs as Lankans always stayed ahead of their opponents.

The stand for the for the second wicket was also of contrasts as Samarawickra was the yin to the yang of her aggressive leader.

Athapaththu fetched her fifty in 33 balls, and Samarawickrama went past her mark in 43 balls and their shot selection too was vastly differing.

Athapaththu scored through almost every reachable place on the field, and her assault on left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar, who she biffed for two fours and six in her first over, was stunning.

But at the other end, Samarawickrama clearly lacked the power of her senior but she offset that with clever placings, such as reverse sweeps off left-arm spinners Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav.

But she picked up the tempo when Sri Lanka reached a rather safer zone, muscling a slog-swept six off Yadav over mid-wicket.

In between, Deepti managed to bowl Athapaththu around her legs with a fuller delivery that sparked celebrations among the Indians, who till then looked lethargic on the field.

But those merriments were premature as Samarawickrama found an able sidekick in Kavisha Dilhari (30 not out, 16b, 1×4, 2×6) as the duo added 73 runs off just 40 balls for the unbeaten third wicket to guide their side home.

But an equal share of credit should go to the Lankan bowlers as well for stifling a set of free-flowing India batters.

Smriti Mandhana’s conditions-defying half-century (60, 47b, 10×4) had powered India to a fighting 165 for six and she received reasonable backing from Jemimah Rodrigues (29, 16 balls, 3×4, 1×6) and Richa Ghosh (30, 14 balls, 4×4, 1×6).

But largely it was a tight contest for them against a plethora of Lankan spinners.

In fact, the home side included only one pacer in their ranks – Udeshika Prabodhani and the rest were slow bowlers.

The Lanka bowlers indeed made good use of a slow pitch as well, leaving the Indian batters a frustrated lot often.

It was evident from the struggles of Shafali Verma (16, 19 balls), who found it difficult to time her shots.

Mandhana had a massive slice of fortune when she was on 10 as her weak chip off spinner Dilhari (2/36) was put down at covers by Samarawickrama.

The left-hander made the hosts pay for that mistake with some gorgeous shots, especially against Prabodhani whom she carted for three fours in the sixth over as India reached 44 for no loss.

But Verma soon fell leg before to Dilhari after getting pinged on her pads while trying a tweak to the on-side.

As the Power Play came to an end, Mandhana had to resort to some improvisations such as scoops behind the stumper to get her boundaries.

The Indian vice-captain, who brought up her fifty in 36 balls, also often had to make room for herself or shuffle across the stumps to find the ropes because the ball was not exactly coming on to her bat.

While Mandhana managed to beat the slowness of the deck, it consumed Harmanpreet and Uma Chetry, who got a promotion to No. 3.

At 87 for three in the 12th over, India needed a move-on and it was given by an aggressive Rodrigues in the company of Mandhana, making 41 runs off 25 balls for the fourth wicket.

However, the run out of Rodrigues and the dismissal of Mandhana pushed India to 133 for five in 16.5 overs.

Ghosh played a typical swift innings that contained a massive slog-swept six off Dilhari over the mid-wicket.

In the company of Pooja Vastrakar, Ghosh milked 31 runs for the sixth wicket that carried India past the 160-run mark.

Brief Scores: India 165/6 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 60, Jemimah Rodgrigues 29, Richa Ghosh 30; Kavisha Dilhari 2/36) lost to Sri Lanka 167/2 in 18.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 61, Harshitha Samarawickrama 69*, Kavisha Dilhari 30*; Deepti Sharma 1/30) by 8 wickets.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav during a practice session at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, in Pallekele, Thursday, July 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Newly-appointed Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav says he has enjoyed being a leader on field despite not dawning the captain’s hat, adding that he leant the tricks of the trade from different skippers over the years.

Suryakumar was appointed as India’s T20 captain last week ahead of Hardik Pandya after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format.

Suryakumar’s first assignment will be the three-match T20 series against hosts Sri Lanka starting here on Saturday.

“I have always enjoyed being a leader on the field even though I was not the captain. I have always learnt a lot of things from different captains. It’s a good feeling and a great responsibility,” the swashbuckling middle-order batter told BCCI.TV.

Indian cricket is set to embark on a new era under Suryakumar and new head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Both Suryakumar and Gambhir share a strong bond since Kolkata Knight Riders days as they played together in 2014 for the franchise.

And Suryakumar, known for his aggressive batting and innovative shots, described his relationship with Gambhir as both special and strong.

“This relationship is special because in 2014 I played under him in KKR. It was special because from there only I got opportunities. The relationship is still strong.

“He (Gambhir) knows how I work, what is my mindset when I come to practice sessions. I also know how he tries to work as a coach. It’s all about the lovely relationship we have and very excited to see how it goes forward,” the Mumbai batter said.

By his own admission, Suryakumar wants to remain humble and grounded while leading the side on the field as he looks at cricket just as a sport, not life.

“I think most important thing what I have learned from this sport is how humble you are after achieving or even after not doing well. I have learned when you do something on the ground you have to leave it on the ground,” he said.

“This is not your life, this is just a part of your life. So you can’t be when you are doing well you stay on the top and when you are not doing well, you are underground.

“That’s one thing which you shouldn’t do ever as a sportsman, that’s one thing which I have learned and that’s what helps me create balance in my life. If you are good person, everything happens good.”

File photo of India’s Suryakumar Yadav.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Suryakumar Yadav has been anointed as Rohit Sharma’s heir apparent in T20Is while Rohit and Virat Kohli have made themselves available for the ODI leg of India’s forthcoming limited overs series in Sri Lanka. The transition — with Hardik Pandya being overlooked from the leadership group from the shortest format — is significant considering the tour will be Gautam Gambhir’s first official assignment as India men’s head coach.

The national selection committee, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, met online on Tuesday evening to finalise the squad ahead of the T20I squad’s departure on July 22. While the hour-long meeting is understood to have been a cordial affair, the last three days were eventful.

Lanky pacer Harshit Rana and middle-order bat Riyan Parag — who debuted in T20Is in Zimbabwe — have earned maiden call-ups in ODIs while Shreyas Iyer will feature in India’s blues for the first time since being stripped off the BCCI contract.

“The BCCI will continue to monitor player availability and participation in the upcoming domestic cricket season” noted the BCCI statement.

The Hindu understands that Gambhir and Agarkar reached out to Rohit and Kohli — who were supposed to take a break from the Sri Lanka ODIs — and convinced the duo to join the squad in Sri Lanka. With India set to play only six ODIs, including the three in Sri Lanka in August, before the next year’s Champions Trophy, the veterans’ presence will be crucial to plan for the next stern test.

A lot of drama, however, unfolded during a conference call with Hardik on Monday. Considering Hardik’s fitness concerns, form on the wane and his “unimpressive strategising” during the 16 T20Is he led India in between the last two T20 World Cups, the selectors and Gambhir wanted a change.

The move came as a surprise to Hardik along with a section of BCCI officials who assumed that with the allrounder being Rohit’s deputy for the triumphant T20 World Cup, he will be elevated to the permanent T20Is captaincy.

However, Gambhir is understood to have put his foot down for Suryakumar, one of his most favourite cricketers since the former opener’s playing days, getting the nod ahead of Hardik and Rishabh Pant, whose name was also discussed.

Having led India in seven T20Is last year, Suryakumar is no stranger to captaincy. But the maverick batter’s mettle will be tested in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup on home soil. Hardik — who has been asked to feature in all the domestic limited overs’ tournaments — was also replaced as vice-captain with Shubman Gill.

Gambhir’s footprint was also evident in Rana’s selection for the ODIs. The Delhi pacer was a star act in Kolkata Knight Riders’ title run in IPL 2024, with Gambhir as the team mentor.

The Squads:

T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.

ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.