Who won India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 2nd T20I today? — Match result & turning points

India Women continued their dominant run in the five-match T20I series by defeating Sri Lanka Women in the 2nd T20I at Visakhapatnam, extending their lead to 2-0. Chasing a target of 129, the home team sealed a convincing seven-wicket victory with 49 balls to spare.

The match began with India facing a slight setback even before the toss, as Deepti Sharma, the newly crowned No.1-ranked T20I bowler, was ruled out due to a mild fever. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, winning her second toss in a row, opted to field again.

Sneh Rana replaced Deepti in the XI, while Sri Lanka stuck with the same combination despite their heavy loss in the opener.

Sri Lanka’s innings never truly took off. While Chamari Athapaththu (31) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33) showed some fight, regular wickets kept them in check. Sneh Rana was impressive on her return, conceding just 11 runs in four overs, while Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani picked up two wickets each as the visitors finished on 128/9.

Shafali Verma was at her best, smashing an unbeaten 69 off just 34 balls. After Smriti Mandhana fell early, Jemimah Rodrigues added 26, stitching an important 58-run stand with Shafali.

India cruised to 129/3 in just 11.5 overs, sealing a comprehensive win.

Top batting performance of the match — Shafali Verma

Indian opener Shafali Verma was once again at her best, scoring an unbeaten knock to headline India Women’s chase in the second T20I against Sri Lanka. She hammered 69* off just 34 deliveries at a strike rate of 202.94. Her innings was laced with 11 boundaries and a six, as she dismantled the Sri Lankan bowling attack with ease. Shafali brought up her fifty in just 27 balls and ensured the hosts clinched a seven-wicket win with nearly eight overs to spare.

Top Bowling performance of the match - Vaishnavi Sharma

Young left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma enjoyed a memorable T20I debut. The 20-year-old picked up two wickets, including her maiden international scalp when Nilakshika Silva top-edged a sweep. She then removed Shashini Gimhani for a duck. Vaishnavi also played a role in two run-outs during the death overs as Sri Lanka lost wickets in quick succession.

Who won the Player of the Match?

Shafali Verma won the Player of the Match award, and it didn't come as a shock to many. The right-handed batter amassed a 34-ball 69* with the help of 11 boundaries and a six. Her  27-ball fifty became the joint-second fastest half-century by an Indian woman against Sri Lanka Women in T20Is.

Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved

• India Women smashed 113 runs in the first 10 overs, their highest-ever 10-over total in WT20Is, surpassing the previous best of 111 against Malaysia at the 2023 Asian Games.
• Shafali Verma’s 27-ball fifty became the joint-second fastest half-century by an Indian woman against Sri Lanka Women in T20Is.
• India Women raced to 68/1 in the powerplay, registering their second-highest powerplay total against Sri Lanka Women, behind the 75/4 at Katunayake in 2018.
• Deepti Sharma missed India’s playing XI for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, bringing an end to her run of 123 consecutive international matches, including 92 straight T20Is since 2019.
• India Women have now won nine of their last 11 games against Sri Lanka in T20Is since 2020.
  Sri Lanka's last T20I win against India in India had come back in 2014. Since then, they've lost all five matches they've played there.
• India chased 129 runs in 11.5 overs, their quickest in a 120-plus target in terms of overs taken. 49 balls remaining is also the most for India Women in a 120-plus target chase in T20Is.

What is the next match?

The third T20I in the five-match series is set to be played at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, December 26. With today's win, India currently lead the series by 2-0 margin.