Visakhapatnam

An assured unbeaten half-century by Jemimah Rodrigues guided India Women to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka Women in the first T20I of the five-match series at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Sunday, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Chasing a modest target of 122, India made light work of the task, reaching the mark in just 14.4 overs. Jemimah starred with an unbeaten 69 off 44 balls, striking 10 boundaries in a fluent innings. In the process, she equalled former captain Mithali Raj’s record of four 50-plus scores against Sri Lanka in women’s T20Is.

Smriti Mandhana also played a key role during the chase, contributing 25 runs and achieving a major personal milestone. She became only the second woman cricketer to cross 4,000 runs in T20Is, after New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, and did so in record time, reaching the mark in fewer balls than Bates.

Mandhana and Jemimah added a steady 54-run partnership for the second wicket, firmly placing India in control. Jemimah then combined with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for an unbroken 55-run stand, with Harmanpreet remaining unbeaten on 15 as India sealed the win comfortably.

Earlier, after opting to bowl, India Women delivered a disciplined performance to restrict Sri Lanka to 121 for six in their allotted 20 overs. The visitors struggled to build momentum, with three of their batters being run out. Kranti Gaud, Deepti Sharma and Shree Charani claimed a wicket each to keep the scoring in check.

Opener Vishmi Gunaratne top-scored for Sri Lanka with 39 off 43 balls but found it difficult to accelerate. Captain Chamari Athapaththu was dismissed early for 15, while Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama chipped in with 20 and 21 respectively.

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Deepti Sharma was the standout bowler for India, finishing with economical figures of 1 for 20 from four overs, including a maiden. With both bat and ball firing, India began the series on a dominant note.Top of Form