India secured a convincing 30-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth women’s T20 International on Sunday. However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged her frustration as she had to urge her bowlers to speed up their overs toward the end of the match to avoid slow over-rate penalties. Harmanpreet was visibly animated while directing her teammates during the latter part of Sri Lanka’s innings.
During the post-match presentation, she reflected on the situation, stating, “We were running out of time, and I wanted everyone to be punctual. I didn’t want three fielders outside the inner circle. I strive to learn from my mistakes.” The Indian team capitalized on a stellar partnership between Smriti Mandhana, who scored 80, and Shafali Verma, who contributed 79. Additionally, Vaishnavi Sharma shone with the ball, taking 2 wickets for 24 runs, helping India take a 4-0 lead in the five-match series.
Harmanpreet expressed gratitude toward her teammates, emphasizing, “We should give credit to Shafali and Smriti, and Richa and I finished the innings well.” With the series already won, she hinted at potential lineup changes for the final T20I scheduled for Tuesday. “We considered giving Harleen Deol a chance, but given today’s performance, we sent Richa in early. Smriti and Shafali dominated the batting, not allowing Harleen to bat.”
Mandhana, named Player of the Match, admitted she struggled to adjust to the T20 format after a lengthy stint in ODIs over the past six months. “Transitioning from ODI to T20 was mentally challenging. I’m pleased I performed better today. The strategy was similar; I had specific game plans and practiced extensively,” she noted.
On her partnership with Shafali, she added, “Seeing Shafali bat is always a joy. She handles most of the hitting during the powerplay. We understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. She has matured significantly over the past year, and our team culture is focused on celebrating everyone’s success.”
Sri Lanka’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu, found positives in her team’s performance despite the defeat, praising their improved batting that saw them reach 191 runs for 6 in 20 overs. “At least we’ve made progress in our batting, but there’s still room for improvement, particularly in power-hitting,” she stated.
Athapaththu remarked on India’s strong performance, saying, “They batted exceptionally well. Our bowlers underperformed, but we have many young talents in our squad. They’ve gained invaluable experience from competing against the world’s best team.” She also commended Vaishnavi Sharma, noting, “She is bowling very well and has shown considerable improvement, sticking to her plans, especially in the middle overs.”
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/harmanpreet-kaur-concern-india-over-rate-fourth-t20i-vs-sri-lanka-10443849/
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Publish Date: 2025-12-29 01:47:00
