India emerged victorious in the third T20I against Sri Lanka, securing a whitewash in the series. The match, held at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, saw unexpected heroes in Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh, who turned the game around with their bowling. Washington Sundar played a crucial role in the final moments, ensuring India's triumph in a nail-biting Super Over.
The new era under captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir began with this emphatic 3-0 series win. India made four changes to their playing XI, adopting a high-risk, high-reward strategy that ultimately paid off.
Batting first, India faced early setbacks and were reduced to 35/4 by the end of the powerplay. Debutant Chamindu Wickramasinghe set the tone by dismissing Sanju Samson for a four-ball duck.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped in front of the stumps by Maheesh Theekshana, who also claimed Rinku Singh and captain Suryakumar Yadav. Asitha Fernando added to India's woes by removing Suryakumar with his signature shot.
Despite these early losses, Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag stabilised the innings with a 50-run partnership. However, Wanindu Hasaranga's introduction to the attack disrupted India's progress, as he dismissed Gill and Parag in a single over. Washington Sundar's short but impactful cameo of 25 runs helped India reach a total of 137/9.
Sri Lanka's chase started strong with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis putting together a 58-run opening stand. Ravi Bishnoi provided a breakthrough by dismissing Nissanka, and then trapped Mendis in front of the stumps. Washington Sundar's double strike, removing Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka, tilted the balance in India's favour.
With just nine runs needed off 12 balls, Suryakumar Yadav took a gamble by handing the ball to Rinku Singh. Rinku rose to the occasion, dismissing set-batter Kusal Perera and Ramesh Mendis in one over, leaving Sri Lanka needing six runs from the final over.
Suryakumar took on the responsibility and claimed two wickets in succession, bringing the equation down to three runs off the last ball. Chamindu Wickramasinghe's double on the final ball pushed the game into a Super Over.
In the Super Over, Washington Sundar restricted Sri Lanka to just two runs by removing Kusal Mendis and Nissanka. Suryakumar Yadav then completed the win with a sweep shot to the fence, sealing the whitewash.
India's final score was 137/9, with Shubman Gill top-scoring with 39 and Riyan Parag contributing 26. Maheesh Theekshana was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka, taking 3/28.
In response, Sri Lanka also managed 137/8, with Kusal Perera scoring 46 and Kusal Mendis 43. Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav were the standout bowlers for India, with figures of 2/3 and 2/5 respectively.
This series win marks a promising start for India's new leadership under Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir, showcasing the team's depth and resilience. The focus now shifts to the upcoming ODI series, where both teams will aim to continue their competitive form.
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