Sri Lanka claimed a four-wicket victory over India in Wednesday's second T20I. The match, held at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo, was a tense, low-scoring affair that ended with the series tied at 1-1. Both teams will now face off today at 8 pm in the final T20I to decide the series winner.
Sri Lanka beat India by four wickets in the 2nd T20I on Wednesday. Sri Lanka won a low-scoring thriller match at R Premadasa stadium in Colombo and levels the series 1-1. Today at 8 pm both the teams will clash in the third and final T20I match to win the title cup.
Sri Lanka needed 133 runs to win, and it took them until the very last over to cross the finish line. The victory was spearheaded by Dhananjaya De Silva, who remained not out on 40 from 34 balls. Throughout the match, the spin bowlers from both camps were the dominant force.
Choosing to bowl first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka kept a shorthanded Indian squad—which had only five batsmen available—to a total of 132 runs. While skipper Shikhar Dhawan managed to score 40, the relentless pressure from Sri Lankan spinners Akila Dhananjaya and Wanindu Hasaranga ensured India couldn't accelerate their scoring.
The Indian spin attack performed admirably under the conditions, making the defense of a small total a real fight. Kuldeep Yadav led the way by taking two wickets, with the other bowlers taking one each. Varun Chakravarthy proved to be the most efficient, keeping the run rate low by giving up just 18 runs in his four-over spell.
A few dropped catches by the Indian fielders proved costly and shifted the momentum. Under pressure, Bhanuka and Dhananjaya de Silva formed a vital partnership to steer Sri Lanka to victory. Thanks to his steady batting and a tidy bowling spell of 0/13 in 2 overs, Dhananjaya de Silva was named Player of the Match.