IND-W vs SL-W 2nd T20I: Shafali Verma Smashes 34-ball 69 in Dominant Win

IND-W vs SL-W 2nd T20I: Shafali Verma Smashes 34-ball 69 in Dominant Win read now

Sri Lanka Women Innings

Player Name	Runs	Balls
Vishmi Gunaratne	1	3
Chamari Athapaththu (c)	31	21
Hasini Perera	22	28
Harshitha Samarawickrama	33	32
Nilakshi de Silva	9	9
Kavisha Dilhari	14	18
Kaushani Nuthyangana (wk)	1	2
Shashini Gimhani	1	2
Kawya Kavindi	1	1
Malki Madara	1*	1
Extras	14	—

128/9 in 20 Overs

India Women Innings

Player Name	Runs	Balls
Smriti Mandhana	14	11
Shafali Verma	69*	34
Jemimah Rodrigues	26	15
Harmanpreet Kaur (c)	10	12
Richa Ghosh (wk)	1*	0
Extras	9	—

129/3 in 11.5 Overs

IND-W vs SL-W 2nd T20I: Shafali Verma Smashes 34-ball 69 in Dominant Series-Clinching Victory

By Sportzons Desk | December 23, 2025

The Indian Women’s National Cricket Team continued their relentless form in the ongoing 5-match T20I series, securing a commanding 7-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second T20I at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The star of the show was none other than the “Rohtak Rocket,” Shafali Verma, whose explosive unbeaten 69 off just 34 balls made a mockery of the 129-run target, propelling India to a 2-0 series lead.

Dominant Bowling Sets the Stage

Earlier in the evening, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to field first, citing the potential impact of dew. Despite the absence of veteran all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who was sidelined due to illness, the Indian bowling unit looked sharp.

Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a rocky start when Kranti Gaud struck in the very first over, dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne for just 1. While Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu tried to stabilize the innings with a few trademark boundaries, the Indian spinners, led by debutant Vaishnavi Sharma and the returning Sneh Rana, kept the pressure high.

A late collapse saw Sri Lanka tumble from a relatively steady position to 128/9 in their 20 overs. Vaishnavi Sharma impressed with her maiden T20I wicket, while Shree Charani claimed two scalps. The final over was particularly chaotic for the visitors, featuring two run-outs as they desperately tried to push the total past 130.

The Shafali Verma Storm

Chasing 129 at a required rate of 6.45, India made their intentions clear from ball one. While Smriti Mandhana fell early, her dismissal only paved the way for a “Shafali Storm.”

Shafali Verma, who has been in sublime touch since India’s recent ODI World Cup triumph, played an innings of pure aggression. She reached her half-century in a blistering 27 balls, punctuating her knock with 4 massive sixes and 8 boundaries. Her footwork against the spinners was a masterclass, frequently dancing down the track to loft Chamari Athapaththu and Inoka Ranaweera over the ropes.

Supporting Acts and the Finish

Jemimah Rodrigues provided the perfect foil to Shafali’s aggression, contributing a quick-fire 26 off 15 balls before being caught at long-on. Her departure did little to slow India down. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined Shafali in the middle to ensure there were no further hiccups.

The chase was so clinical that India reached the target in just 11.5 overs, winning with a staggering 49 balls to spare. Richa Ghosh hit the winning runs to seal the 7-wicket victory, leaving the Sri Lankan side searching for answers ahead of the third T20I in Thiruvananthapuram.

Match Summary

Sri Lanka Women: 128/9 (20 Overs) | Harshitha Samarawickrama 28, Shree Charani 2/23.
India Women: 129/3 (11.5 Overs) | Shafali Verma 69*, Jemimah Rodrigues 26.
Result: India Women won by 7 wickets.
Player of the Match: Shafali Verma.

With this win, India is just one victory away from sealing the series. For Sri Lanka, the task becomes mountainous as they head to Kerala, needing to win all three remaining matches to flip the script.