India beat Sri Lanka by a commanding 91 runs in the third and final T20 match on Saturday, securing a 2-1 victory in the series. It was a historic moment for captain Hardik Pandya, who was leading the domestic circuit for the first time.
Suryakumar Yadav was the star of the show for India, scoring an unbeaten 112 off 51 balls. His blistering performance included nine sixes and seven fours, as he dominated the Sri Lankan bowlers and helped lead India to a score of 228 runs for five wickets. It was the third century of Suryakumar’s T20 career.
Shubman Gill also contributed to the Indian total with 46 runs, while Rahul Tripathi scored 35 runs in 16 balls. As soon as the spin bowlers took to the pitch, Tripathi went on the offensive against Mahesh Teekshana, hitting three fours in the fifth over. The first boundary was struck at square leg, followed by a second at point and a third at mid-off. Tripathi also hit Karunaratne for two sixes. Despite losing two wickets, India added 53 runs in the powerplay.
Despite a slow start, with Ishaan Kishan returning to the pavilion after scoring just one run in the first over, India added 53 runs and lost two wickets in the powerplay.
The Sri Lankan team put up a fight, but ultimately fell short of the target. Deepak Hooda and Hardik Pandya both scored four runs before being dismissed cheaply, while Akshar Patel finished the match with an unbeaten 21 runs off nine balls, including four fours. Suryakumar remained aggressive at the crease, hitting a total of nine sixes and seven fours throughout his innings.
With the final wicket taken by Arshdeep Singh, India secures a 91 run victory and wins the series 2-1. This marks India’s 25th bilateral series win against Sri Lanka on their home turf. It was a strong performance from India, with Suryakumar’s stormy innings leading the charge. The team will no doubt be pleased with their 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka.
