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India Women piled on the runs in the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka Women on Sunday, setting a daunting target of 222 after commanding half-centuries from Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

 

Asked to bat first after losing the toss, India made full use of the conditions as openers Shafali and Mandhana laid a blistering foundation. Shafali continued her rich vein of form in the series, smashing 64 off just 36 balls for her third successive half-century, while Mandhana complemented her with a fluent 52 off 36 deliveries. The pair gave India a flying start, keeping the Sri Lankan bowlers under sustained pressure throughout the powerplay and beyond.

 

With the series already sealed, India made two changes to the playing XI. Jemimah Rodrigues missed out due to fever, while Kranti Gaud was rested. Harleen Deol and Arundhati Reddy were drafted into the side, as the team management looked to test bench strength ahead of future assignments.

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Sri Lanka, led by Chamari Athapaththu, opted to field after winning the toss, hoping to restrict India and keep the contest alive. However, they struggled to contain the Indian batters, who maintained a high scoring rate and capitalised on loose deliveries.

 

Shafali has been the standout performer of the series with the bat, consistently providing aggressive starts. In the previous match, captain Harmanpreet Kaur also chipped in with a quick cameo, underlining India’s batting depth. With the ball, Renuka Singh Thakur had been the pick of the bowlers in the third T20I, giving India further confidence heading into the latter stages of the series.

 

Sri Lanka, already down in the series, will be desperate to salvage pride by chasing down the imposing target or at least producing a stronger batting display. While they have shown flashes of potential in patches, consistency has eluded them so far, and the remainder of the series presents an opportunity to finish on a positive note.