Confident and in rhythm, the Indian team will take the field on Friday with the intent to win the third T20 match and clinch the five-match series against a Sri Lankan side struggling with poor form.

India registered wins by eight and seven wickets respectively in the first two T20 matches in Visakhapatnam.

This was India’s ninth win in its last 11 T20 matches. Sri Lanka last defeated India in Dambulla in July 2024.

The host team boasts a formidable batting lineup, with different players securing victory in the last two matches. While Jemimah Rodrigues led the charge in the first match, Shafali Verma was the architect of the win in the second.

India’s bowling unit is equally potent, with spinners restricting Sri Lanka to 121 for six in the first match and 128 for nine in the second. Young N. Sreecharani, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Kranti Gaur have delivered disciplined, controlled, and effective bowling.

All-rounder Deepti Sharma missed the second T20 due to fever, but her replacement, Sneha Rana, took one wicket for 11 runs in four overs.

The Indian team, however, will need to work on its fielding, as five catches were dropped in the first match, though three run-outs were effected in the second.

The Indian team, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, will look to improve its performance in the next three matches here.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka hopes a change of venue will change its fortunes, though there is a vast difference in the performance of the two teams. Sri Lanka’s batters disappointed in both matches. In the first match, Vishmi Gunaratne scored 39 runs off 43 balls, while Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama could not play aggressive innings.

In the second match, after Chamari Athapaththu was dismissed, Sri Lanka lost six wickets within 26 runs.

Teams:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain), Deepti Sharma, Sneha Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaur, Renuka Singh Thakur, Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper), G. Kamalini (Wicketkeeper), Sreecharani, Vaishnavi Sharma.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (Captain), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshika de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Malsha Shehani, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Nimesh Madushani, Kavya Kavindi, Rashmika Sewwandi, Malki Madara.

The match will begin at 7 PM Indian Standard Time.

Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, often called Vizag, is a major port city on the east coast of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Historically, it was a small fishing village that grew under the rule of the Kalinga and Eastern Ganga kingdoms, later becoming a significant maritime hub during British colonial rule. Today, it is a bustling industrial center and tourist destination known for its beaches, the ancient Buddhist site of Thotlakonda, and the natural harbor of the Bay of Bengal.

Dambulla

Dambulla is a town in central Sri Lanka famous for its UNESCO-listed Royal Rock Temple, a complex of five cave monasteries adorned with Buddhist murals and over 150 statues. Its history dates back to the 1st century BCE, when King Valagamba took refuge here and later converted the caves into a magnificent temple complex. The site has been continuously maintained and expanded by subsequent kings, making it one of the largest and best-preserved cave temple complexes in Sri Lanka.