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- India vs Sri Lanka Live Score, 5th Women's T20I: India wrap up 5-0 clean sweep as Sri Lanka crumble under pressure
India vs Sri Lanka Live Score, 5th Women's T20I: India wrap up 5-0 clean sweep as Sri Lanka crumble under pressure
The batters played with freedom, boundaries came in clusters, and the bowlers applied constant pressure. On paper, it was a flawless series. On the field, however, a familiar weakness resurfaced — sloppy fielding.
Despite controlling every major moment, India repeatedly let themselves down in the basics. These were not difficult chances or athletic dives gone wrong. They were regulation catches that should be taken every time at international level. In the fourth T20I, Smriti Mandhana dropped a simple catch at long-on after a mistimed shot ballooned into her hands.
Soon after, Deepti Sharma spilled another straightforward chance, allowing the ball to trickle away for four instead of ending the over with a dot or wicket.
Such moments were not isolated. India dropped five catches in the series opener in Visakhapatnam, three of them straightforward. The pattern continued through the series, with missed chances punctuating otherwise dominant performances. That these errors did not change results is both reassuring and concerning. India’s depth in batting and discipline with the ball ensured Sri Lanka never capitalised, but repeated mistakes risk becoming habits when they go unpunished.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh tried to put things in perspective after the fourth T20I.
“We had an off day in the field. It’s understandable, but everyone in this team is working really hard on their fielding drills. I won’t say anything about the fielding for this one game,” she said.
Head coach Amol Muzumdar will likely see this series as a reminder that dominance alone is not enough. India’s batting looks fearless and the bowling unit increasingly sharp, but fielding remains the missing piece. At the highest level, matches and tournaments are decided by moments — sharp catches, quick stops and saved runs.
With the T20 World Cup just six months away, India have time to address the issue. Sri Lanka were forgiving. Stronger opponents will not be.
SLW vs INDW Squads:
Sri Lanka Women Squad: Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu(c), Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Rashmika Sewwandi, Kaushani Nuthyangana(w), Malsha Shehani, Kawya Kavindi, Nimasha Madushani, Malki Madara, Shashini Gimhani, Vishmi Gunaratne, Inoka Ranaweera
India Women Squad: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh(w), Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Vaishnavi Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shree Charani, Jemimah Rodrigues, G Kamalini, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana
Rashmika Sewwandi comes into the attack, replacing Kavisha Dilhari.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 9 (8)
- Harleen Deol 13 (10)
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, On a dragged length around off, Kaur advances and just nudges it across to mid-wicket for another run to end the over. After the Powerplay, India Women are 40/2.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harleen Deol, Inoka sees the batter charging and fires it in fuller, Deol jams it wide of covers and sneaks in another quick single.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harleen Deol, Wide! This is pushed through flatter but angled down leg for a wide.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Good running. Floated up around off, pushed gently in front of mid off for a quick single.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harleen Deol, DROPPED! Should have been taken and it is the Lankan captain who's at fault here. Inoka Ranaweera tosses the ball up on off stump, Harleen Deol comes down the pitch and looks to hit inside-out over wide mid off. However, the connection isn't the desired one and Deol ends up hitting it flat to the right of mid off. Chamari Athapaththu goes for the catch with hard hands and fumbles it behind for a single.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Flighted ball, drifting into middle and leg, Kaur prods forward and just nudges it in front of square leg for a single.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Inoka starts around the wicket and angles the ball in from outside off, Harmanpreet Kaur hangs on the back foot and blocks it off.
Change in the bowling from both ends. Inoka Ranaweera has now been tossed the ball.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 6 (4)
- Harleen Deol 11 (8)
Kavisha Dilhari to Harmanpreet Kaur, A bit of air given, full and on off, Harmanpreet steps out and wrists it to the right of long on for a single.
Kavisha Dilhari to Harleen Deol, Pushed through, shorter and on off, Deol whips it to wide long on for one.
Kavisha Dilhari to Harmanpreet Kaur, Floated up, around off, Harmanpreet gets a good stride in and drives it to long on for a single.
Kavisha Dilhari to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! Gets it through! Sliding across the right-hander, very full, Kaur lets the ball come to her and drops her bat down on the ball. She glides it with an open bat face to the left of point for a boundary.
Kavisha Dilhari to Harmanpreet Kaur, Attacking the front pad, Kaur drives this full ball back to the bowler.
The Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur walks out to bat next.
Kavisha Dilhari to Kamalini G, OUT! PLUMB IN FRONT! Immediate impact from Kavisha Dilhari. Sliding on with the arm, full and at the stumps from around the wicket. Kamalini goes for the sweep, but the ball is a bit too full for the shot. It skids through to sneak under the blade and brushes the front pad first before hitting the crouched back thigh. Sri Lanka go up in unison and the finger is raised. This looks pretty straight but the debutant takes the review. No bat involved on UltraEdge and it is three reds on Ball Tracking, with the ball hitting the middle and leg stump. A run-a-ball 12 for Kamalini on debut. India are now 27/2.
A first change in the bowling for Sri Lanka Women as Kavisha Dilhari comes into the attack.
- Kamalini G 12 (11)
- Harleen Deol 10 (7)
Nimasha Meepage to Kamalini G, A bit fuller, on off, Kamalini goes for the sweep and ends up dragging it in front of square on the leg side for a single.11 runs off the over!
Nimasha Meepage to Kamalini G, Around off, on the shorter side, Kamalini eases it to point.
Nimasha Meepage to Kamalini G, FOUR! Good shot! This is flatter and fuller, on off. Fast hands from Kamalini as she sweeps it hard and flat to the left of deep mid-wicket and manages to beat the dive of the fielder in the deep to her left for a boundary.
Nimasha Meepage to Harleen Deol, Shorter and on middle, Harleen whips it wide of mid on for one.
Nimasha Meepage to Harleen Deol, FOUR! Nicely done! Tossed up, full and on middle. Harleen Deol gets down on a knee and gets her hands out in front to sweep it over the fielder at square leg. Nilakshika Silva gets around from deep mid-wicket and dives but in vain.
Nimasha Meepage to Kamalini G, Short and on off, Kamalini guides it in front of point and Harleen calls her through for a quick single. The point fielder was caught on her heels and had she picked up cleanly, it could have been interesting.
- Harleen Deol 5 (5)
- Kamalini G 6 (7)
Malki Madara to Harleen Deol, Pace off by Malki, on a good length, on off, Harleen waits on it and taps it to mid on.
Malki Madara to Harleen Deol, FOUR! Harleen Deol cashes in on the width this time! Slightly fuller but well wide on off, Deol extends her hands and carves it aerially between short third and backward point for a boundary.
Malki Madara to Harleen Deol, On a back of a good length, near the tramline, Deol reaches out for the cut but the ball skids through to go under the blade.
Malki Madara to Kamalini G, The keeper comes up to the stumps. The length is pulled back, on off, Kamalini looks to force it through the off side but ends up chopping it down in front of cover. The batters sneak in a quick single.
Malki Madara to Kamalini G, FOUR! This will help the debutant feel a little better! Fuller and shaping away, Kamalini advances down the track and plays the lofted drive over mid on for her first boundary.
Malki Madara to Kamalini G, Going away from the left-hander, on a short of a length. Kamalini stays on the back foot and punches it to point.
- Kamalini G 1 (4)
- Harleen Deol 1 (2)
Nimasha Meepage to Kamalini G, Shorter in length, on off, Kamalini hangs back and tucks it through mid-wicket for her first run in international cricket.
Nimasha Meepage to Kamalini G, Floated up, fuller and on off, Kamalini presses forward and drives well but can't get it past Harshitha Samarawickrama at cover.
Nimasha Meepage to Kamalini G, Flat and short, on off, Kamalini G goes back and slaps it with a flat bat back to the bowler.
Nimasha Meepage to Harleen Deol, Keeps it full, on middle, Harleen knocks it to long on and gets off the mark with a single.
Nimasha Meepage to Harleen Deol, Full and angling away, Deol pushes it to cover.
Harleen Deol walks in at number 3 for India Women.
Nimasha Meepage to Shafali Verma, OUT! CAUGHT! Nimasha Meepage gets a massive wicket on her very first ball. From over the wicket, pushed through, full and on middle and leg. Verma skips down the track and stays leg side of the ball to get her hands through the ball. She tries to launch it down the ground but the bat turns in her hand upon contact. It goes flat and dips towards Imesha Dulani at long on. Dulani misjudges at first but recovers quickly and dives forward to hold onto the catch close to her chest.
It will be Nimasha Meepage to bowl from the other end.
- Kamalini G 0 (1)
- Shafali Verma 5 (5)
Malki Madara to Kamalini G, Moving away in the air, on a length, Kamilini waits back and steers it to backward point.
Malki Madara to Shafali Verma, On a back of a length, on middle, Verma works it in front of square on the leg side for a single.
Malki Madara to Shafali Verma, Full and shaping back in, Shafali blocks it out off the front foot.
Malki Madara to Shafali Verma, Good effort in the field! Full and outside off, Verma firms the drive towards cover, where Harshitha Samarawickrama flings herself to her right to cut it off. Both batters set off for the run before retreating on seeing Harshitha make the stop. The throw is fired in at the batting end but Verma gets back in time.
Malki Madara to Shafali Verma, FOUR! Shafali Verma and India are away! Full again, swinging back into the pads, Verma brings her wrists into play and plays it to the left of square leg for a boundary.
Malki Madara to Shafali Verma, What a ball first up! Tailing back into the right-hander, full and at the sticks, Shafali takes a couple of steps down the track to push it down the ground with a straight bat. Verma ekes out an inside edge onto the pads and the ball sneaks just past the leg pole.
We are all set for the game to begin! The umpires are out in the middle and so are the players of Sri Lanka Women. It will be a new opening pair for India Women as the debutant Kamalini G joins Shafali Verma at the top of the order. Malki Madara has th new ball in hand and she is raring to go. Let's play...
India's head coach, Amol Muzumdar is in for a chat. He rates this series performance very highly. Admits that post the World Cup, there was a big challenge around how the team would turn up, but he is pleased with the way the players responded and the spirit they showed throughout the series. Reflecting on the 2025 World Cup, Muzumdar describes the campaign as surreal, calling it a great moment in the lives of everyone involved. Shares that while 2025 brought both good memories and some tough ones, he feels the World Cup experience was as rewarding as they could have hoped for. He points to a significant shift in mindset within the group, emphasising that the team has tried to approach every game and every opposition on its own merit. Muzumdar adds that the tour of England and the tri-series in Sri Lanka provided a great deal of confidence heading into the World Cup. Amol calls Smriti Mandhana a special player for the team. He highlights her remarkable consistency and fluency, describing her as a perfect role model in the dressing room. Mentions that he had been counting her hundreds over the past two years and believes she has scored around 11 in that period. Looking ahead, he opines that the Women’s T20 League will provide valuable insights into team combinations. With tours of Australia and England in the first half of 2026, he adds that there is plenty of cricket to be played before the World Cup, and expresses hope that the team will settle on the right combination and overall composition in the lead-up.
Sri Lanka Women (Playing XI) - Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu (C), Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Rashmika Sewwandi, Kaushini Nuthyangana (WK), Nimasha Meepage, Inoka Ranaweera (In for Malsha Shehani), Malki Madara (In for Kawya Kavindi).
India Women (Playing XI) - Shafali Verma, Kamalini G (On debut) (In for Smriti Mandhana), Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana (In for Renuka Singh Thakur), Arundhati Reddy, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sree Charani.
India's skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur shares that she is fine with batting first. Mentions that this is an important game for the team and they want to finish the series the way they started. Hopes that they can keep the momentum going as a team. Informs that Smriti Mandhana and Renuka Singh Thakur are resting tonight, and Kamalini G is making her debut, while Sneh Rana also returns to the side.
Chamari Athapaththu, the captain of Sri Lanka, says that they will bowl first because they played better while chasing last time around and that is the main reason. Adds that they have learned a lot of things playing with a young team against a champion side like India. Informs that they have a couple of changes with Inoka Ranaweera and Malki Madara back in the side.
However, beneath the emphatic scorelines lay a recurring concern: poor fielding. Despite controlling matches, India repeatedly faltered in basic catching and ground work, allowing simple chances to slip through.
Several regulation catches were dropped across the series, including glaring errors in the fourth T20I by senior players. Five catches went down in the series opener alone, setting a trend that continued throughout. While these mistakes did not affect the results due to India’s superior batting depth and disciplined bowling, they raised questions about urgency and standards.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh acknowledged the lapse, calling it an off day while stressing the team’s ongoing efforts to improve. Head coach Amol Muzumdar will view the series as one of dominance mixed with lessons.
As India look ahead to tougher opposition and the upcoming T20 World Cup, sharpening fielding standards will be crucial. Against stronger teams, such errors could prove costly.
Match Statistics
Venue
Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
