INDW beat SLW in 2nd T20I, win series: Key stats
India Women beat Sri Lanka Women in the second T20I to claim a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The visitors successfully chased down 126, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur anchoring the run-chase. She has become India's leading run-scorer in T20Is. Earlier, Sri Lanka faced a batting collapse after cruising at 87/0 at one stage. Deepti Sharma took two wickets for the Women in Blue.
Vishmi Gunaratne (45) and Chamari Athapaththu (43) took SL past the 50-run mark after the hosts elected to bat. However, they faced an untimely batting collapse thereafter. None of the other batters scored in double figures as SL crawled to 125/7 (20). India lost Shafali Verma and Sabbhineni Meghana, but Mandhana held one end. Later, a defiant knock by Harmanpreet got India home (127/5).
Smriti Mandhana was the top scorer for India in the run-chase. She slammed 39 off 34 balls (8 fours). During her knock, she completed the 2,000-run mark in T20 Internationals. Mandhana became just the third Indian to reach this landmark in the format after Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur. Mandhana now has 2,011 runs from 86 T20Is at an average of 25.78.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur too attained a significant feat. She surpassed legend Mithali to become India's leading run-scorer in T20I cricket. The latter, who recently retired from international cricket, scored 2,364 T20I runs in her illustrious career. Harmanpreet now has 2,372 runs from 123 T20Is at an average of 26.65. The tally includes six half-centuries and one ton.
Athapaththu and Gunaratne shared an 87-run stand in the first innings. The former scored 43, while Gunaratne fell five runs short of her half-century. The duo registered Sri Lanka's highest-ever opening stand in the shortest format.
The Indian bowlers did a commendable job to end SL's quest for a big score. Harmanpreet and Pooja Vastrakar dismissed SL's openers after they added 87 runs. Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, and Renuka Singh then choked the Lankans. SL were tottering on 116/6 before settling for 125/7. Deepti was the pick of Indian bowlers (2/34). Meanwhile, Pooja conceded just 18 runs in four overs.
