IND vs SL 5th T20I: How captain Harmanpreet Kaur guided India to 5-0 series win over Sri Lanka

Dominant top-order batting had set up India’s wins in four of the five T20Is against Sri Lanka. On Tuesday, in the fifth and final match at Thiruvananthapuram, other heroes emerged to help the hosts beat Sri Lanka by 15 runs and complete a 5–0 whitewash.

Chasing 176 runs to avoid a clean sweep, Sri Lanka lost captain Chamari Athapaththu cheaply for two runs, caught by Deepti Sharma at cover off Arundhati Reddy. It ended a difficult series for the southpaw, who amassed only 103 runs in five matches.

Hasini Perera and Imesha Dulani then laid the foundation, starting briskly but prioritising strike rotation over boundary-hitting. Their approach allowed India’s spinners to settle into a rhythm without needing to take undue risks. The pair paced the partnership smartly, choosing their moments to attack, and took Sri Lanka to 75 for 1 at the halfway stage.

With a platform in place, Sri Lanka needed quick runs to stay in touch with the required rate. Dulani provided the impetus by taking 11 runs off the 11th over from Vaishnavi Sharma and brought up her half-century soon after. However, she overreached in the following over, finding Shafali Verma at extra cover to give Amanjot Kaur her first wicket.

Harmanpreet Kaur of India during the 5th T20I match between India and Sri Lanka at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, India, on December 30, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)

The onus was on Perera to drive the innings forward, but the southpaw could not clear the boundaries as frequently as she would have liked. Deepti broke the growing stand between Perera and Nilakshika Silva, dismissing the latter lbw for three to become the leading wicket-taker in T20Is. The equation came down to 64 runs off 30 balls, and Perera had all to do to take Sri Lanka home. Her dismissal on 65 in the 17th over, bowled by Sree Charani, proved to be the final nail in the coffin. The Indian bowlers eventually sealed the victory and completed the whitewash.

A fine innings of 68 off 43 balls by Harmanpreet rescued India from 77/5 to reach 175/7 in 20 overs. The 36-year-old, who walked out to bat in the fifth over, played the lone hand as the others struggled to get going and fell cheaply.

The right-hander was equally proficient with both front and back-foot strokes, driving and pulling, and using her feet to pull things back in India’s favour. She was most severe on the returning Inoka Ranaweera, who went for 32 runs in 16 balls. She stroked nine boundaries and a six to all parts of the Greenfield Stadium before falling in the 18th over.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur's exquisite 68(43) powers #TeamIndia 🫡

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 30, 2025

It was her stand of 61 runs in 38 balls with Amanjot Kaur, combined with a blistering, unbeaten cameo of 27 runs in 11 balls from Arundhati Reddy, which proved pivotal in India getting to a competitive total.

After Athapaththu won her second toss in a row, the Sri Lankan bowlers started well. Shafali Verma endured a rare off day with the bat, falling to Nimasha Madushani for five runs. Debutant G Kamalini began promisingly, but the sweep shot led to her downfall, as Dilhari trapped her in front for 12. Harleen Deol came out at number three and got a life on 11 when Athapaththu dropped her at mid-off. However, she failed to make the most of the chance, falling to Rashmika Sewwandi for 13.

India’s innings stuttered further when Athapaththu removed Richa Ghosh for 5, and at 74/4 after 10 overs, the onus was on Harmanpreet and others to take India to a score they could defend. Athapaththu rotated her bowlers efficiently, ensuring there was a pace and spin at both ends almost always. With the surface offering little pace, clearing the boundary proved difficult, and India were 109 for 5 after 15 overs, in need of a strong finish. That surge came through Harmanpreet’s clean hitting, with Reddy taking charge after her dismissal to push India to a total they ultimately defended with authority.

Brief Scores: India 175/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet 68, Reddy 27; Dilhari 2/11) beat Sri Lanka 160/7 after 20 overs (Perera 65, Dulani 50; Arundhati 1/16) by 15 runs.