Dominant India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series beating the hosts by 7 wickets at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
The start of the match was delayed due to a slight drizzle in Pallekele, with the toss happening at 7:15 PM and the match starting at 7:45 PM. However, no overs were lost.
After winning the toss, Suryakumar Yadav decided to bowl first, bringing in Sanju Samson for Shubman Gill. The hosts also made one change, bringing in Ramesh Mendis for Dilshan Madushanka.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (w), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka ©, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando
India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav ©, Rishabh Pant (w), Riyan Parag, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka managed to get 54 runs in the powerplay after losing the early wicket of Kusal Mendis. Arshdeep Singh dismissed him for the second consecutive time at the score of 26 in the fourth over.
Ravi Bishnoi has broken the 54-run stand between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera. The opener was given out LBW after making a 24-ball 32. The hard-hitting southpaw registered his 14th T20 International fifty within 31 balls.
He and Kamindu Mendis added 50 runs for the third wicket, but Hardik Pandya removed both of them in the 16th over. The former stroked 53 off 36 including 6 fours and 2 sixes.
Just like in the first game, Sri Lanka experienced another major batting collapse, with former captains Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga both getting dismissed off their first deliveries by Bishnoi.
Skipper Charith Asalanka also failed to get going and fell to Arshdeep in the penultimate over. The pitch offered some assistance to the spinners, prompting India to bring back Axar Patel for the death overs.
The left-arm spinner grabbed two wickets in the last over, as the home side lost 7 wickets for 31 runs. They ended up with a total of 161/9 in 20 overs, despite being at 130/2 at the end of the 15th over.
Just after 0.3 overs in India’s run chase, rain came from nowhere and play was stopped once again. After a 70-minute break, play resumed at 10:45 PM, setting a target of 78 runs in 8 overs.
Sanju Samson was cleaned up off the first ball he faced by Maheesh Theekshana. But, Yashaswi Jaiswal (30 off 15) and Suryakumar Yadav (26 off 12) had found some regular boundaries especially against Hasaranga and Theekshana.
Pathirana and Hasaranga removed the two batters, but it was not enough to defend such a score against a powerful Indian batters. Hardik Pandya smashed an unbeaten 9-ball 22 as the visitors eased past the target in 6.3 overs to seal the series with one game to go.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | lbw b Ravi Bishnoi | 32 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 139.13 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Ravi Bishnoi b Arshdeep Singh | 10 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 90.91 |
| Kusal Perera | c Rinku Singh b Hardik Pandya | 54 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 158.82 |
| Kamindu Mendis | c Rinku Singh b Hardik Pandya | 26 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 113.04 |
| Charith Asalanka | c Sanju Samson b Arshdeep Singh | 14 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 116.67 |
| Dasun Shanaka | b Ravi Bishnoi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | b Ravi Bishnoi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ramesh Mendis | st Rishab Pant b Axar Patel | 12 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 120.00 |
| Mahesh Theekshana | b Axar Patel | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Matheesha Pathirana | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 10 (b 0 , lb 0 , nb 0, w 10, pen 0) |
| Total | 161/9 (20 Overs, RR: 8.05) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Siraj | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 9.00 | |
| Arshdeep Singh | 3 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 8.00 | |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 7.50 | |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 4 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 6.50 | |
| Riyan Parag | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 7.50 | |
| Hardik Pandya | 2 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 12.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | c Dasun Shanaka b Wanindu Hasaranga | 30 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 230.77 |
| Sanju Samson | b Maheesh Theekshana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | c Dasun Shanaka b Matheesha Pathirana | 26 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 216.67 |
| Hardik Pandya | not out | 22 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 244.44 |
| Rishab Pant | not out | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 1 (b 0 , lb 1 , nb 0, w 0, pen 0) |
| Total | 81/3 (6.3 Overs, RR: 12.46) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dasun Shanaka | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12.00 | |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 8.00 | |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 2 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 17.00 | |
| Matheesha Pathirana | 1.3 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 13.85 | |
