The 2025 Sri Lanka Women’s Tri-Nation Series got off to an exciting start at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, April 27, with India Women asserting their dominance in the first ODI against hosts Sri Lanka Women. After winning the toss, India elected to bowl first and executed their plan to near perfection, bundling out the Sri Lankan side for a modest 147 in 38.1 overs.
Clinical Indian Bowling Effort Restricts Sri Lanka
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to field first proved fruitful almost immediately as Indian bowlers tightened the screws from the onset. Despite the pitch offering little assistance to bowlers early on, India’s disciplined line and length ensured that Sri Lanka could never build any substantial momentum.
Sri Lanka’s innings began on a cautious note with openers Chamari Athapaththu and Hasini Perera. However, Chamari, the seasoned captain, could not stay for long, departing for just 7 runs off 18 balls after being caught by Richa Ghosh off Arundhati Reddy’s bowling in the 8th over.
Hasini Perera tried to anchor the innings but found little support at the other end. She made a gritty 30 off 46 balls, laced with four boundaries before becoming the first victim of the impressive Sneh Rana, who trapped her leg-before-wicket.
Middle-Order Collapse Hurts Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s middle order crumbled under consistent pressure applied by Indian bowlers. Harshitha Samarawickrama (14 runs) was run out brilliantly by Jemimah Rodrigues, while Hansima Karunaratne (4 runs) was dismissed via a return catch to Sneh Rana.
Kavisha Dilhari offered some resistance with a quickfire 25 off 26 deliveries, hitting three crisp boundaries, but her stay was cut short by debutant Nallapureddy Charani, who impressed in her maiden outing.
Nilakshi de Silva (10 runs) and Anushka Sanjeewani (22 runs) tried to stabilize the innings but found the going tough against a disciplined Indian bowling unit. Sri Lanka kept losing wickets at regular intervals, never allowing any meaningful partnerships to develop.
The lower order failed to offer much resistance, with Piumi Badalge (2 runs), Malki Madara (2 runs), and Inoka Ranaweera (0 not out) folding without troubling the Indian attack significantly. Achini Kulasuriya chipped in with a fighting 17 off 34 balls before becoming Deepti Sharma’s second victim.
Sneh Rana Leads from the Front
Sneh Rana was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with excellent figures of 3 wickets for 31 runs in her 8 overs. She was ably supported by Nallapureddy Charani and Deepti Sharma, who picked up two wickets each. Arundhati Reddy also claimed a crucial wicket early on, setting the tone for the innings. Debutant Pratika Rawal bowled a tidy over for just 2 runs, showcasing India’s bench strength.
Kashvee Gautam, though wicketless, maintained impressive economy, conceding just 28 runs in her 8 overs, building pressure that led to mistakes from the Sri Lankan batters.
Fall of Wickets:
-
23/1 (Chamari Athapaththu, 7.2 overs)
-
54/2 (Hasini Perera, 13.4 overs)
-
67/3 (Harshitha Samarawickrama, 15.6 overs)
-
69/4 (Hansima Karunaratne, 17.2 overs)
-
93/5 (Nilakshi de Silva, 21.4 overs)
-
106/6 (Kavisha Dilhari, 25.2 overs)
-
112/7 (Piumi Badalge, 27.3 overs)
-
144/8 (Anushka Sanjeewani, 36.5 overs)
-
147/9 (Malki Madara, 37.2 overs)
-
147/10 (Achini Kulasuriya, 38.1 overs)
India Women Eye Strong Start to Chase
As it stands, India Women are heavy favorites to chase down the target of 148 with a massive 98% win probability, according to live match predictions. With a strong batting lineup featuring the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues, India will look to seal a commanding victory in their tournament opener.
Weather Impact and Adjustments
It’s worth noting that persistent showers earlier in the day had forced the organizers to reduce the match to a 39-overs-per-side affair. However, the rain has held off since, allowing for an uninterrupted contest so far.
