India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I Highlights: Jemimah Rodrigues Guides India To Easy 8-Wicket Win Over SL

Right then, that's it from the first T20I. India Women have convincingly won this. The 2nd T20I of this series is set to be played on 23rd December 2025 at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT). You can join us an hour early for the pre-match buildup and updates. Cheers.

Player of the Match Jemimah Rodrigues stated that she approached her innings with the clear mindset of making the most of her good form at the crease. She emphasized the importance of assessing the sticky conditions early on, but feeling in good touch, she committed to keeping the momentum going by reacting to each ball and playing it purely on its merits. Looking ahead, Rodrigues noted that the team is performing well and their focus has shifted from past results to future objectives. The primary goal is to prepare for the T20 World Cup in 2026 by aiming to win every match leading up to the tournament.

India Women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed satisfaction with her team's performance with both bat and ball but highlighted fielding as a key area requiring significant improvement, lamenting the number of dropped catches. While acknowledging the wet conditions, she firmly stated this was no excuse for their fielding lapses. When asked about her preference for batting first, Kaur explained that since the team was playing after a long break, they chose not to unnecessarily challenge themselves and opted to chase, which worked out well in the match. She concluded that it is better to adapt to the specific situation and display a better overall approach to the game.

Sri Lanka Women's captain Chamari Athapaththu candidly admitted that a total of around 120 was not a strong score to defend, emphasizing her team's need to bounce back in the next T20I. She pointed out that the team committed numerous errors during the middle overs and stressed the necessity of adopting a more positive and assertive approach to their batting. Athapaththu urged her players to assess the playing conditions effectively, while simultaneously clarifying that conditions could not be used as an excuse for their performance, as they are professional cricketers. Ultimately, she reiterated that improving key areas in their batting order and playing more positively would be crucial for the team's success in the upcoming match.

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Earlier, in a dominant bowling display, India Women successfully restricted Sri Lanka Women to 121/5 in their 20 overs after asking them to bat first. Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu made a start, scoring 15 before being dismissed by Kranti Gaud in the third over. Hasini Perera scored 20 and Vishmi Gunaratne, 39, then formed a partnership to see out the powerplay at 31/1, but Indian spinners tightened their control thereafter, stemming the flow of boundaries. Perera fell trying to accelerate just before drinks. Harshitha Samarawickrama joined Gunaratne, but despite being dropped twice in the 15th over, she couldn't capitalize and was clean-bowled in the next over. As the innings neared its end, momentum eluded Sri Lanka. Gunaratne was run out in the 18th over, Nilakshi de Silva departed quickly after, and Kavisha Dilhari fell on the final ball as Sri Lanka Women finished on a disappointing 122/5 on what appeared to be a good batting surface. Kranti Gaud, Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani took one each for India Women.

The Sri Lankan bowlers had very little to show for their efforts against the aggressive Indian batting lineup. Only Kawya Kavindi and Inoka Ranaweera managed to pick up a single wicket each as India Women secured a convincing victory. This comprehensive performance underscores India's dominance in the match, sealing a comfortable win by a significant margin.

The highlight of the Indian innings was a stellar performance by Jemimah Rodrigues, who shone brightly with a dominant knock of 69 runs off just 44 deliveries. Rodrigues displayed exceptional footwork throughout her innings, repeatedly finding the boundary, particularly peppering the third man region with precision and flair that was a delight to watch. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur added an unbeaten 15, ensuring a smooth finish as India crossed the finish line with ease.

India Women have completed a comfortable run chase against Sri Lanka Women, making light work of the 122-run target set by the visitors and achieving victory inside 15 overs. The chase began on the front foot with openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana taking a proactive approach against the Sri Lankan bowlers. While Verma missed out on a big score, Mandhana contributed a run-a-ball 25, laying a solid foundation for the innings.

Full and wide of off, Jemimah Rodrigues drives this to cover, the fielder misfields and the batters take one. India Women wins this by 8 runs.

Tossed up, on the pads, Harmanpreet Kaur works this towards the deep square leg region for a single.

Pushed through on leg, Harmanpreet Kaur flicks this through mid on for one. Inoka Ranaweera fails to gather the throw and the Indian batters sneaked an extra run.

Floated on off, Jemimah Rodrigues pushes this towards long off for a single.

Good length on the pads, Jemimah Rodrigues flicks this through mid-wicket for a single.

Full and on off, Harmanpreet Kaur presents a full face of her bat and chips this to long on for a single. Jemimah Rodrigues was keen on the second and ran almost to the other end but was sent back by Kaur.

On a length around off, Jemimah Rodrigues rolls this to long on for a single.

Back of a length around off, Harmanpreet Kaur pulls this flat towards the deep mid-wicket region for a single.

Good length around off, Jemimah Rodrigues lofts this away for a single.

FOUR! Good length around off, Jemimah Rodrigues shuffles across and ramps this up and over the fielder at short fine leg region for a boundary. Jemimah Rodrigues might just want to wrap this up in this over.

Tossed up, around middle and off. Jemimah Rodrigues shuffles across and smashes this to long on for one.