Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 29: Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a historic day for Indian women’s cricket on Sunday as Smriti Mandhana delivered a spectacular performance to guide India to a 30-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth T20 International, taking a 4-0 lead in the five-match series.Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on a blazing 162-run partnership, the highest for any wicket for India in Women’s T20Is, helping the hosts post a massive 221 for 2 at the Greenfield International Stadium after opting to bat first. Mandhana scored 80 off 48 balls, while Shafali contributed 79 off 46 deliveries, showcasing aggressive stroke play and impeccable timing.
In addition to the record partnership, Mandhana surpassed Mithali Raj to become the fastest Indian batter to reach 10,000 international runs in terms of innings, marking yet another milestone in her illustrious career.
Chasing a daunting target of 222, Sri Lanka put up a spirited fight, led by captain Chamari Athapaththu, who scored a well-made fifty. However, the Lankan side was eventually restricted to 191 for 6, falling short of the target as India clinched the win comfortably.
The series decider now moves to the fifth and final T20I, with India on the brink of a clean sweep and the duo of Mandhana and Verma continuing to dominate international women’s cricket.