India beat Sri Lanka in 3rd T20I: Records broken
Team India on Sunday hammered Sri Lanka by six wickets to clinch the three-match T20I series 3-0. This is the third time India have blanked an opponent in T20Is in as many series since Rohit Sharma took over captaincy reins. Before this, India defeated West Indies 3-0. In November 2021, India whitewashed New Zealand 3-0. It is India's 12th T20I victory on the trot.
Batting first, Sri Lanka huffed and puffed their way to 146/5 in 20 overs. Dasun Shanaka scored a blistering 74 runs while Dinesh Chandimal contributed with 22 runs. In response, India chased down the target in 16.5 overs. Iyer hammered a brilliant fifty. Deepak Hooda contributed with 21 runs while Sanju Samson managed 18. Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten at 22.
Flamboyant Indian middle-order batter Iyer scored his third successive fifty in this game. He smashed 73* runs off 45 balls. Iyer's knock was laced with nine fours and one six. It is his sixth T20I fifty overall. Iyer scored 74 runs off 44 balls in the second T20I. He had added 57* from 28 balls in the first T20I.
Sri Lanka skipperShanaka on Sunday recorded his highest score in T20Is. He smashed 74* runs off 38 balls at a staggering strike rate of 194.74. His knock was laced with nine fours and two sixes. Shanaka's previous best score was 54, which he had recorded versus Pakistan in 2017. Overall, Shanaka has scored 947 runs in 65 games at 20.14.
Meanwhile, Indian seamer Avesh Khan had a dream debut. He got rid of dangerous SL opener Pathum Nissanka (one run) in his very first over. In his next over, he got rid of Charith Asalanka (four runs). He bowled one maiden over, too. Khan gave away just 23 runs in his quota of four overs. Khan earlier received his debut cap from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The two teams have faced each other on 25 occasions in T20Is to date. India have won 17 matches. Sri Lanka have pocketed seven matches. One match didn't have a result. India have won the last three T20Is against Sri Lanka.
Sharma on Sunday night became the most-capped player in the T20Is. He has now represented India in 125 T20Is. Sharma recorded this feat by surpassing Pakistan's all-rounder Shoaib Malik. He had made 124 T20I appearances for Pakistan. Malik is followed by fellow countryman Mohammad Hafeez (119) and England's Eoin Morgan (115). The fifth spot in this list is reserved by Bangladesh's Mohammad Mahmudullah (113).
