All-rounder Nilakshika Silva brought her years of experience to play during a counter-attacking 33-ball 56 as Sri Lanka humbled India by three wickets — their first win against their fancied rivals in seven years — in a women’s Tri-series match here on Sunday.
The victory, the islanders’ second in the tournament, helped them inch closer to the final. This was India’s first loss in the event but they are still expected to make the title clash thanks to their convincing wins in the first two matches. Asked to bat, India posted a competitive 275 for nine riding on swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh’s 48-ball 58. Sri Lanka completed the chase with five balls to spare after slipping to 152 for four in the 33rd over.
After Nilakshi flattened the India bowlers with her three sixes and five fours, Anushka Sanjeewani (23 not out off 28 balls) and Sugandika Kumari (19 not out off 20 balls) got the job done for Sri Lanka to push the third team South Africa on the verge of elimination.