This is the 12th consecutive Twenty20 victory under Rohit Sharma. India are the only team to win 12 consecutive Twenty20 Internationals. Afghanistan has already achieved this. India will hold the record alone if they win the next Twenty20. With this victory, India swept three consecutive Twenty20 series under Rohit.
Sanju Samson, along with Rohit Sharma, opened the innings for India with a target of 147. But India lost Rohit in the second over. Rohit, who scored just five runs off nine balls, was bowled by Dushmantha Chameera Chamika Karunaratne. Rohit was replaced by Shreyas Iyer with Sanju.
Sanju and Shreyas crossed the 50 mark. But Chamika Karunaratne returned Sanju, who was playing well, to India. Sanju, who scored 18 off 12 balls with three fours, was handed over to wicketkeeper Chandimal by Karunaratne. Shreyas smashed Sanju’s replacement Deepak Hooda. India scored 86 in the first over. But in the fifth ball of the 11th over, Lahiru Kumara bowled Hooda clean and gave Sri Lanka a break through. Hooda returned with 21 off 16 balls.
Venkatesh Iyer, who came on at the crease to replace Hooda, forged the first ball of the innings. Shreyas Iyer then hit a six off the first ball of the 12th over. Shreyas scored a half-century off just 29 balls. This is the third consecutive half-century in the series.
Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer was sent off for attempting an unnecessary shot. Iyer’s attempt to score a six off Kumara’s delivery was thwarted by substitute Jayavikrama. With this, India fell to 103 for four. Venkatesh was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja at the crease. Jadeja Shreyas, who played with care, was well supported. India soon won by 16.5 overs. Shreyas was unbeaten on 73 and Jadeja was unbeaten on 22 off 15 balls.
Lahiru Kumara took two wickets for Sri Lanka while Dushmantha Chameera and Karunaratne took one wicket each. Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 146 for five. Dasan Shanaka, the lone batsman to score 74 off just 38 balls, gave Sri Lanka the lead. Shanaka was the lone batsman to beat Sri Lanka, who lost five wickets for 60 runs at one stage. He was unbeaten on 74 off 38 balls with 9 fours and 2 sixes.
For India, Avesh Khan took 2 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs. Mohammad Siraj took 22 runs in 4 overs and Herschelle Patel took 29 runs in 4 overs. Ravi Bishnoi took one wicket for 32 runs in 4 overs.
Apart from the captain, only two Sri Lankans have reached the double-digit mark. Dinesh Chandimal (25) and Chamika Karunaratne (12 not out) were the other notable contributors. At one stage, Sri Lanka were 29 for four. He lost all five wickets for 60 runs. Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne, who put on a half – century for the sixth wicket, secured the lead. The 47-ball duo added 86 runs for the Sri Lankan scoreboard.
In the first over, Dhanushka Gunathilaka returned to the Golden Duck and Mohammad Siraj started India’s chase. Avesh Khan dismissed Nissanka, who scored just one run off 10 balls. Caught by Venkatesh Iyer. Aaveesh Khan also returned Charith Asalanka. Asalanka, who scored four off six balls, was caught by wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.
Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat India won the first two matches and rested Jaspreet Bumra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yusvendra Chehal and Ishant Kishan. Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohammad Siraj and Ravi Bishnoi, who missed the first two matches, were included in the squad.
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