Sri Lanka Opts to Bowl; Kamalini Debuts While India Rests Mandhana
Sri Lanka’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu, won the toss for the fifth T20I against India and opted to bowl first. This match is taking place in Thiruvananthapuram, where India has already secured a series victory with a remarkable 4-0 lead. Both teams made strategic changes to their lineups from the previous game.
Sri Lanka’s Strategy and Player Changes
- Sri Lanka made two notable changes:
- Inoka Ranaweera returned as a left-arm spinner.
- Malki Madara was included as a seamer after missing the last match.
India’s Lineup and Kamalini’s Debut
India introduced G Kamalini, a promising young wicketkeeper-batter, into the team, marking her debut at just 17 years old. She recently played a crucial role in India’s Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup victory and was the top run-scorer for Tamil Nadu in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy with 297 runs, boasting an impressive strike rate of 110.
- India’s changes included:
- Bringing back allrounder Sneh Rana, replacing Smriti Mandhana and Renuka Singh.
- Harleen Deol continues to bat at No. 3 in place of Jemimah Rodrigues, who is absent due to health issues.
Team Lineups
| India | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| 1. Shafali Verma | 1. Chamari Athapaththu (capt) |
| 2. G Kamalini | 2. Hasini Perera |
| 3. Harleen Deol | 3. Harshitha Samarawickrama |
| 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (capt) | 4. Imesha Dulani |
| 5. Richa Ghosh (wk) | 5. Kavisha Dilhari |
| 6. Deepti Sharma | 6. Nilakshika Silva |
| 7. Amanjot Kaur | 7. Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk) |
| 8. Sneh Rana | 8. Rashmika Sewwandi |
| 9. Arundhati Reddy | 9. Malki Madara |
| 10. N Shree Charani | 10. Inoka Ranaweera |
| 11. Vaishnavi Sharma | 11. Nimasha Meepage |
As the match unfolds, India aims to end the series on a high note, while Sri Lanka looks to turn the tide after their recent defeats. This encounter promises to be a thrilling conclusion to a competitive series.
